


The Return of Arthur

by rubberduckz84



Series: Merlin Series [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Action, Drama, Druids, Elves, F/M, Magic, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:08:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 122,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21572746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubberduckz84/pseuds/rubberduckz84
Summary: (Sequel to The Secret Kingdom) Over a thousand years have passed since the dragon foretold of the return of Arthur. And for all that time, Merlin has been waiting. But what happens when the Once and Future King returns... in the 21st century?
Relationships: Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Original Female Character (Arthurian)
Series: Merlin Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1553815
Kudos: 12





	1. A Whole New World... For Arthur

“What is this place?” Arthur said, looking around the living room of Elia and Merlin’s home, frowning. He was walking around the living room while Elia ran into the kitchen to make up some tea.

“Ehm, a lot of things have changed...” Merlin said, trotting down the stairs. He had gone up to throw on a t-shirt, feeling rather naked standing next to Arthur in full armor. He walked up to him, crossing his arms as he watched Arthur move around, taking in everything.

“What’s that?” Arthur asked, pointing at the large flat screen that sat on a table next to the fireplace. “And how are your paintings so realistic?” He turned his head and walked towards the wall and fireplace, taking in the various photographs of the two from trips and such. They had a large one up of the two of them on a beach in Thailand from their most recent vow renewal.

Merlin had been trying to swing Elia around, but nearly tripped and toppled both of them into the ocean. Elia’s head was tossed back as the photographer caught them both mid-laugh and mid-fall, Elia’s curls flying around her as Merlin gripped her waist and stared down at her lovingly.

“They’re not paintings, Arthur,” Elia said, returning with three mugs. He turned to face her. “They’re photographs. Taken with a camera. I’ll show you later.” She sat the mugs on the coffee table and picked up one of coffee, feeling she was going to need it to get through the rest of the day. “Those are from our last wedding.”

“A what? Has the world gone mad?” he asked. He looked back at Merlin. “I die and suddenly magic is everywhere?”

“It’s not magic,” Merlin said. “Its technology. Science.” Arthur just blinked. “No one in this time really believes in magic anymore.”

“For how long?” Arthur asked.

“Quite some time,” Elia said, sitting on the sofa. “Ages. Centuries.”

“Why am I back, then?” Arthur asked.

“Just where have you been this whole time?” Merlin asked.

“No, you answer first,” Arthur replied, frowning. Merlin rolled his eyes.

“I don’t know. All we were told was that you would return when Albion’s need was greatest,” he said. “Wasn’t really keen on details.”

“Well that’s fantastic,” Arthur replied.

“Good. Sarcasm. It’ll help you fit in with the times,” Elia replied, smiling. Arthur glared at her. Merlin just rubbed his face. He was starting to get a headache. This was going to be harder than he thought.

“Well, obviously we need to figure out why he’s back,” he said. Elia snorted. “Not helping, Lia.”

“Sorry,” she said, though her grin told another story.

“Just how do you suggest we do that?” Arthur asked. Merlin looked around the living room before bounding up the stairs. “Where did he go now?”

“Likely to get his laptop,” Elia said. “Have some tea, Arthur. It’ll help calm you.” He walked over towards the coffee table, staring down at the mug as though it contained poison. “It’s just tea.” He reached down and picked it up, pulling the tea bag out and studying it. “The leaves are inside there.”

He then took a cautious sip as Merlin returned downstairs, carrying the laptop. He sat next to Elia and opened it, quickly typing away.

“What the bloody hell is that?” Arthur asked, stepping over to look down at the screen.

“Laptop. Searching the internet,” Merlin replied.

“The what?” Arthur asked.

“For what? Impending magical catastrophes?” Elia asked. Merlin shot her a scowl before returning his attention to the screen.

“Just for… anything big in the news,” he said. “Anything that could potentially be related. Odd happenings. Strange occurrences that can’t be explained by anything rational so therefore must be magic.”

“Ah, well then,” Elia said, reaching for the remote and turning the TV on, quickly navigating to the morning news. Arthur jumped back, his eyes wide as he nearly dropped his mug. Tea splashed out onto Merlin’s legs.

“Watch it!” Merlin shouted.

“WHAT IS THIS MAGIC BOX?!” Arthur shouted, pointing at the TV.

“Again. Technology,” Elia said, rolling her eyes. “Think it’s best for now that he stay in the house. Don’t want him scaring the neighbors. And he’ll need normal clothes.”

“I know, Lia,” Merlin said, not taking his eyes off the screen. Arthur tore his eyes away from the TV for a moment to stare at the two.

“You two… you waited for me all this time?” he asked.

“Where he goes, I go,” Elia said, not looking from the TV.

“But the rest of the elves…”

“Went to the Isles,” she replied. Arthur studied her, his brow furrowed.

“You stayed behind…” he murmured. Elia glanced at him but then returned her attention to the screen.

“I had to stay with Merlin,” she said. “Apparently that is part of _my_ destiny… among other things.”

“What other things?” Arthur asked. Elia glanced over at him again, sighing.

“Probably best we take this a bit at a time,” she said. “Too much and your head will explode.” Arthur’s eyes widened. “For god’s sake, not literally, Arthur.” He shook his head.

“So… everyone’s gone. It’s just you two,” Arthur said. They both looked up at him and then shared a look.

“It’s been over a thousand years,” Merlin said gently. “Just over 1,500, to be exact.” Arthur nodded looking at the ground. He then walked over and fell into an armchair, his armor creaking.

“So, the knights… Guinevere…” he murmured.

“I’m sorry, Arthur,” Elia said softly, sitting up. “I know it’s a lot to take in…” She glanced at Merlin and then at the clock, groaning. She pushed herself off the sofa. “Christ, I’ve got to get ready.”

Arthur and Merlin looked at her.

“Story time at the library,” Elia said, walking towards the stairs.

“I think this constitutes as an emergency. Can’t you cancel?” Merlin said.

“It’s too late to find a replacement and we can’t disappoint the village children,” she called out, already halfway up the stairs. “I’ll only be gone an hour or so! I’ll stop by the market as well!” She popped her head back down the staircase. “And for god’s sake, get him in some normal clothes while I’m gone, will you?”

“She seems about the same,” Arthur said after she had left. Merlin chuckled.

“She’s certainly made the last millenia enjoyable,” he replied. Arthur looked around the cozy home.

“When did you two finally marry?” he asked. Merlin glanced at him and nodded.

“A few months after… though we do another wedding every so often to keep up appearances. Truth be told, I think Lia rather enjoys planning them,” he said. “Got several albums upstairs full of wedding photos.” Arthur stared at Merlin.

“Just what have you two been up to all these years?” he asked. Merlin sighed and put the laptop aside.

“A lot, actually. Traveling. Seeing the world - it’s a lot bigger than we thought. Been to university a few times. Had a few careers,” he said. “I can show you some of it, if you like. Stay here.” He stood and walked upstairs, going into the study where they kept most of the photos, staring at the bookshelf there a few moments. He then pulled off several heavy books and made it back downstairs where Arthur was watching the TV with avid curiosity.

“You’ll come to like it. Thought it a bit noisy at first, but there’s some good shows out now and it’s one of the fastest ways to keep up with the news,” Merlin said, nodding towards the TV. “I’m still a bit partial to the wireless, but radios shows died out in popularity a long time ago.”

“Shows?” Arthur asked, once again confused.

“Elia can explain later… she keeps up with it more than I do,” Merlin said, sitting down. He placed the books on the table and then reached for the oldest one, opening it. Arthur leaned over, gazing down at the grainy, black and white photos. “Got them organized by decades. These are from the 1910s. Don’t have many photographs from before then - the equipment was expensive and hard to come by - but Elia’s a fair artist and has a lot of paintings and drawings.”

“Did you live here this whole time?” Arthur asked.

“Not the whole time but as much as we could. We have to leave every so often… to throw off the neighbors. Might get suspicious about a young couple that never ages. Though I do manage to change our appearances here and there when needed,” Merlin said. “And we have ways of keeping up with what happens around here while we’re away.”

“So, you still use magic?” Arthur asked, glancing warily at him.

“Yes, though it’s not as necessary nowadays with… everything,” Merlin said. Arthur nodded.

“Where do you go when you’re not here?” he asked.

“We’ve got homes all over the place, so just bounce around. There’s a townhouse in London that Elia likes to go to when she’s in the mood for some excitement. And we own the nearby cottages and land, so we can keep track of whoever lives nearby. Got an executor that takes care of letting them out so no one here knows we’re the actual owners,” he said. “Keep our tracks covered and whatnot.”

Arthur just stared at Merlin as though he were speaking a completely different language.

“It’ll take some getting used to, but you’ll pick it up,” Merlin said, smiling.

“Merlin was rather fast at it,” Elia said, coming back downstairs. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun and she had changed into torn jeans and a loose t-shirt with an oversized cardigan. She bent over the back of the sofa and kissed Merlin’s head. Arthur just gawked at her.

“You can’t seriously plan to go anywhere dressed like that,” he said. Elia just laughed.

“Many things have changed, Arthur. Fashion included,” she said, walking towards the front door. She pulled a bag off a hook next to the door and grabbed keys from a bowl on the table. “Have fun catching up while I’m gone, boys!”

“That is how people dress now?” Arthur asked, pointing towards the door that shut behind Elia. Merlin nodded.

“We’ve got a lot of history to catch you up on,” he said. Arthur pulled the photo book towards him, flipping through the pages quickly before he stopped at one of Merlin in some sort of uniform, Elia standing next to him in a starch white dress and apron with a giant red cross on her chest. They appeared to be out in some field, both wearing grim expressions. “That’s from World War I. Thought for sure you’d show up then…”

“World War I?” Arthur asked looking up at him.

“Nasty business. All of Europe was involved, as was America,” Merlin said. “And then about 20 or so years later, there was another World War with even more countries involved. Figured maybe then you’d be there…” Arthur frowned unfamiliar with the names. “We both split our time between fighting and nursing, though Elia had to disguise herself as a man. Weren’t too keen on women fighting then… She eventually went to medical school - really puts her healing to good use. She helps out at the local hospital from time to time. I do as well.”

Arthur sighed and fell back on the sofa, covering his eyes.

“This is too much,” he nearly moaned. Merlin studied him for a bit.

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” he started. Arthur looked over at him.

“I’ve been dead over 1,000 years, Merlin,” he replied dryly.

“You never said where you were,” he replied.

“I was… nowhere… one second I was lying in the forest - dying - the next I know, I’m standing along some lake shore and you and Elia are running towards me dressed ridiculously,” Arthur said with a heavy sigh. Merlin nodded slowly.

“Think you might like to get out of that armor? Can’t be comfortable. Think we have some things that would fit you,” he said. “Besides, no one wears armor anymore. Not full armor like that, anyway. Hasn’t since practically the 17th century…”

“Then what do you bloody wear to war?” Arthur asked. Merlin pointed back down at the photo. “That? Can’t possibly protect you from swords.”

“No one uses swords anymore either. Mostly guns and grenades. Granted, they’re a bit more destructive. There is special plating in those to provide some protection,” Merlin said grimly as he pointed at the photo. “And now that they’ve got jets and such…”

“Jets? Guns?” Arthur asked. Merlin sighed heavily.

“First things first, let’s get you out of that armor…”

~~~

About 45 minutes and a million orders later, Merlin had gotten Arthur situated in the guest bath after explaining about 20 times how the shower worked and walked off to his bedroom to try and find something that might fit the still rather burly king

As he walked in, he found a pile of clothes on the bed with a note from Elia. Seems the elf already had a stock of clothes in Arthur’s size waiting in case. Merlin chuckled to himself as he walked the clothing to the bathroom, slowly opening the door to make sure that Arthur wasn’t standing there naked. He breathed a sigh of relief to see the curtain shut as he quickly placed the clothes on the counter and then left, shutting the door behind him.

After he showered and changed quickly, he walked downstairs and into the kitchen, looking around for something to do. He wondered if Arthur was hungry and stepped towards the fridge to see what they had. Merlin then suddenly stopped, straightening up slightly as it hit him what he was doing.

Even after over a thousand years, he was still falling into his old role of servant without even thinking. Closing the fridge, he chuckled as he shook his head and walked into the living room, sitting on the sofa and reaching for his laptop.

Times had changed and he was no longer a servant. He had been many things over the years, but never again had he served another except for the occasional breakfast in bed that he would spring on Elia.

After some time, Merlin glanced up towards the ceiling, wondering just how long Arthur needed in there. As if on cue, there was a shout.

“MERLIN! COME MAKE THE BLOODY WATER STOP!” Arthur shouted. Merlin sighed and rolled his eyes, putting the laptop aside as he made his way upstairs. A wet and dripping Arthur was glaring from the partially open door.

“Please tell me you’ve at least got a towel on,” Merlin said, tiredly. Arthur just stared at him. “They’re hanging on the wall next to the shower.”

Arthur disappeared back into the bathroom, returning a few seconds later and opening the door fully with a gray towel wrapped around his waist. Merlin pushed passed him and over to the shower where he turned the knobs until the water stopped. “You’re going to need to learn how to do this yourself, you know. It’s not that complicated. One way turns it on and the other turns it off.”

“But I thought it was your job to draw my baths,” Arthur said, seeming genuinely confused. Merlin walked over and picked up the clothes, pushing them towards Arthur.

“I’m not your servant anymore,” he replied. “I doubt even the current monarchs have their staff draw them baths.”

“Current what?” Arthur asked. “Who is on the throne?” Merlin sighed.

“Camelot doesn’t exist anymore – it’s known as England or the United Kingdom now. There’s been a whole string of kings and queens since you. The current being Queen Elizabeth II,” Merlin said, walking passed him to leave the bathroom. “Arthur and his knights, Camelot, me, all of it is just legend now.”

“Legend?” Arthur asked.

“Get dressed and I’ll show you,” Merlin replied, shutting the door behind him.

~~~

When Elia walked in later, her arms filled with cloth shopping bags, she found Merlin and Arthur on the sofa with Arthur glued to something playing on TV.

“That NEVER happened!” Arthur shouted as he pointed at the screen. “And really… he looks nothing like me!” She stepped over, discovering that Merlin had put on one of the many King Arthur movies to have come out over the years. She chuckled to herself.

“Educating him, are you?” she asked. Merlin turned to look at her.

“Figured this was the easiest way to explain what the world thinks of him now,” he replied. “There are loads of lore and myths. Entire university departments and libraries devoted to Arthurian legend.” Arthur looked over at him.

“Arthurian legend?”

“Don’t get him started on the loads of books written about him; he’ll talk for days... Help me with the shopping, love? Got more out in the car,” Elia said, walking towards the kitchen. Merlin left Arthur on the sofa and went out to retrieve the last few bags. He then joined Elia in the kitchen where she was unloading various things.

“Get enough?” Merlin asked, noting she had a lot more food than she usually got for the two of them.

“Well, there are three of us living here now. And I figure he’s still got a rather large appetite being fighting fit and all,” she said, not looking up from her work. Merlin chuckled.

“True… how long do you think it will take to teach him how to cook?” Merlin asked, walking over to the pantry with various food items. Elia snorted.

“Unless you want him to blow up the house, I’d keep him away from any sort of appliance for the time being. Even back then, he didn’t cook for himself,” she replied. “In fact, we probably shouldn’t leave him alone. There’s no telling what trouble he’ll get himself into.”

“He’s a grown man, Lia,” Merlin said.

“Who was last awake somewhere about the year 500,” she replied. Merlin stopped for a moment.

“Suppose you have a point there,” he said. “He still thinks I’m his servant.”

“You’ll likely have to be for most things,” Elia said. Merlin scowled at her. “Not for everything! I don’t expect you to help him dress and undress every day. Just, help him out until he starts getting the hang of things. He’s a smart man. Sure he’ll start picking up most things soon enough.”

“This is worse than being his servant,” Merlin groaned. “I’ve now become his minder.” Elia chuckled and walked over to him, sliding her arms around his neck.

“It’ll be fine,” she said. “Besides, isn’t this what we’ve been waiting for all these years? The return of Arthur, the Once and Future King? The elves?” Merlin sighed and smiled slightly.

“Suppose you’re right,” he said, kissing her gently.

“Who are you?” they both heard Arthur boom. Immediately, they looked towards the living room, noticing that he was no longer sitting on the sofa.

“You expecting company?” Merlin asked.

“We never have company,” Elia replied as they started towards the front door. “Except for the neighbors… Did you hear the door?”

As they rounded the corner, they saw Arthur standing the doorway, looking down at someone blocked by his large body.

“Ehm… I’m Clara. I live next door. I was just looking for Leo or Elly,” she said, the admiration apparent in her voice.

“Bugger,” Elia muttered.

“There is no one here by those names,” Arthur said.

“Arthur! We’ve got this!” Merlin shouted as he grabbed his arm and started pulling him back towards the living room.

“There was a knock at the door and neither of you seemed to hear… I was just trying to help,” he started to say. The young woman, Clara, peered over at him, her brown eyes wide.

“Sorry about that,” Elia said quickly, a warm smile on her face. “That is… Leo’s cousin - Arthur. He’s just out of hospital and staying with us a few months.” Clara looked back at Elia.

“Oh, dear. I hope he’s alright,” she said. “Nothing serious?”

“Ehm, no. Just… he’s, ehm, well… he’s a bit… just had some surgery. They’ve got him on rather strong pain medication that makes him a bit loopy,” Elia said, grasping at the first thing to come into her head.

“Whatever this ‘loopy’ is, I most certainly am not that!” Arthur declared, glaring over the sofa at Elia, who just rolled her eyes.

“What can I help you with?” she asked, returning her attention to Clara.

“Oh, ehm, Niall and I are having a small dinner party next week - my cousin is coming in for a visit and we thought we’d have a little soiree for him. Wondered if you and Leo might want to drop by,” she said, smiling hopefully. “You can bring your cousin.”

“Thank you so much for the invitation, but I’m not sure that we will. We’re both rather busy taking care of Arthur and with work and such,” Elia said. Clara nodded.

“No worries, then. Just let me know if you change your mind,” she said before stepping back from the doorstep.

“We will!” Elia called out cheerfully before shutting the door. She then turned and walked to the sofa.

“Under no circumstances are you to ever answer the door unless it’s myself or Merlin,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her as she stared down at him sternly.

“Well, what was I supposed to do? There was a knock and neither of you seemed to hear it,” Arthur replied.

“Christ, you’ve become troublesome,” Elia muttered as she started walking towards the kitchen.

“Who was that?” Arthur asked.

“Our neighbor. She lives next door with her husband,” Merlin said.

“Why did you turn down the invitation? Seems rather rude,” Arthur said.

“Because we can’t get close to anyone, Arthur. Kind of makes the whole ‘never dying’ thing more noticeable,” Merlin replied. Arthur thought for a moment.

“Ah… I see,” he said.

“Alright, boys… what shall we have for lunch?”


	2. Just Around the Willow Tree

Elia glanced over as Merlin walked out onto the balcony and fell into the chair next to her. She grabbed a glass off the small table in between their chairs and held it out to him.

“Going for the whiskey tonight?” he asked, glancing at her.

“Figured we both needed it after a day like today,” she replied, picking up her own and sipping it.

“Fair enough,” he replied, sipping his own. “Just got Arthur situated in one of the guest bedrooms.”

“How is he? With everything?” Elia asked, looking back over at him with a furrowed brow. Now that the annoyance had worn off, she worried for him. Merlin took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

“Taking it as well as he can,” Merlin said. “Can’t imagine what’s it’s like. To be one place one minute and then the next find out over 1,500 years have passed and everyone and everything you’ve known is gone.”

“Not everyone,” Elia replied. “He’s got us.”

“Yea, but… we’ve had all that time to grieve… come to terms with our losses. To adjust. He’s had… nothing,” Merlin said. Elia nodded slowly. “Not to mention, the world’s changed. There’s so much for him to learn and catch up with. Not only history, but technology. Things that we’ve long gotten used to.”

“And not everyone that we’ve lost is gone forever,” Elia said, her thoughts turning to the elves for a moment before going to the others. “Gwen, the knights… they aren’t coming back.” There was a note of finality in her voice that had them both silent a few moments.

They had been there for everyone’s passing – first Gaius, then the knights and Gwen. Then all of their descendants. Gone to all of their funerals. Watched as they were all buried in the ground or tombs. Only they knew the exact locations – with the obsession that grew around the legends of King Arthur and his knights of the round table, many had searched for years for proof that they had actually existed. Merlin and Elia had spent a fair amount of their time making sure that everyone was allowed to rest in peace as well as protecting the few relics that remained. Neither liked the idea of their bodies being taken from the ground for testing and such. Not that anyone but themselves had anything that the DNA could be tested against.

“What do you think this all means?” Elia asked suddenly, looking over at Merlin.

“Well… obviously, something is coming. Something big,” he replied. Elia rolled her eyes.

“Yea, but what?” she pushed.

“I’m not sure,” Merlin replied. “Another world war?”

“God, I hope not. The last two were horrible enough. I’d like not to see another of those. Especially one that would likely be worse,” she said. They reverted to silence for a bit, each thinking of what could possibly be coming. Then Elia sat up, a contemplative look on her face.

“What, Lia?” Merlin asked, looking over at her. Elia looked to him, a smile appearing.

“What if it’s not necessarily something bad… I mean, we’ve known this whole time that the elves would return. What if that’s why Arthur’s back?” she said.

“Surely it would be something more than that,” Merlin said.

"Possibly…,” Elia said, sitting back again. “But you have to admit that it could be a bit chaotic… magic returning to today’s world…”

“It’s always been here in some form,” Merlin said, waving his hand and causing a candle to flare up on the table. Elia narrowed her eyes at him slightly.

“You know what I mean. Magic on a large scale,” she replied.

“No one would believe it,” Merlin said. “They’d think it was some cheap trick done with strings and such.”

“Hence, Arthur’s return,” Elia said. “Perhaps Albion’s need is to accept that it exists again…”

“It could be. We still need to look into it more,” Merlin replied, though the tone of his voice said that he wasn’t so keen on the idea.

“Either way, we need to go back to The Willows,” she said. “Check the archives. And the great willow. It’s been awhile since we’ve been. Should check the wards anyway.” Merlin nodded.

“We’ll go tomorrow. Take Arthur with us. I still don’t trust him not to burn the house down if left alone too long,” he replied. “Though he’d probably spent the whole time watching the TV. he’s rather fascinated by it.” Elia snorted.

“Probably for the best,” she said. She then reached over and took Merlin’s hand. “I must say though… You are much lighter than I’ve seen you in years.” Merlin couldn’t help but smile.

“I’ve been happy with you. Very happy. But it’s good to have Arthur back,” he replied. Elia smiled as he lifted her hand to his lips. “Whatever is coming, it’s easier knowing that we’ll face it together.”

“Of course, but…” Elia stopped speaking as she frowned slightly.

“What is it?” Merlin asked.

“I was just thinking about what you mentioned… all of this being a lot for Arthur… perhaps we should ease him in. Rather than tell him everything at once,” she said. Merlin was silent a few moments, thinking over everything that they would eventually have to tell him. There was a lot. And he wasn’t sure how Arthur would take some of it.

“I suppose that you’re right,” he said finally with a sigh. “He seems to be doing well so far, but we haven’t told him much. Once he’s more settled, he’ll start asking more questions.”

“It’s for his own good. And we should wait until we take him to London for some of it,” she said. Merlin frowned. He knew what she was referring to. He wanted to tell Arthur about it straight away, but Elia was speaking rationally. There were things at the London townhouse he would need to see when they had that conversation.

“Yea… makes sense,” he said, looking over at her. Elia smiled and stood, walking over to him and sitting in his lap.

“We’ll figure this out,” she said before kissing him softly.

“I know…”

~~~

The next morning, Arthur made his way downstairs, hearing voices and other noises from the kitchen. There had been another set of clothing waiting for him when he woke up, but his curiosity over what Elia and Merlin might be doing got the better of him, so he went down before attempting these new rituals of getting ready in the morning. From the way they acted yesterday, it seemed it was usual for one to appear in common areas in nightclothes. He had to admit that these modern nightclothes were much softer and more comfortable than what he was used to.

The smell of food caused his stomach to growl loudly as he walked into the large, cheerful kitchen.

“Wondering when you’d finally get around to coming down,” Elia said, turning from the stove to smile at him. They were both still in their nightclothes, though Arthur looked away when he saw Elia, his cheeks turning slightly red. “Seriously, Arthur… you’re going to have to get used to it at some point.” She was wearing tiny shorts and a tank top, her hair once again piled up in a bun on top of her head.

“What happened to modesty?” he asked, stepping over to sit on a stool, frowning. Elia and Merlin just laughed.

“That started going out a long time ago,” Merlin said, pouring a mug of coffee and then taking a drink. Arthur looked over at him. “Not that the elves had much more than we did anyway.”

“The Willows and Rosewood were always warm. There was no need for so many layers,” Elia replied, her focus back on to whatever was cooking in a frying pan. Something dinged and Arthur looked around the kitchen in confusion. “Merlin… the oven.”

He walked over, grabbing a large glove and then pulled out a tray of some sort of bread, placing it on the counter to cool.

“What is all of this?” Arthur asked, looking around at the food.

“Proper southern breakfast,” Elia said, glancing over at him.

“She picked it up when we visited the Americas,” Merlin explained. “Though only brings it out for special occasions.”

“The what?” Arthur asked.

“The United States of America. It’s a country. Though started out as a colony of England. Got into a large war of independence after some unfair taxation business with the king. Revolutionary War,” Elia added. “It’s rather large and on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Took us awhile to get around to most of it. Still a few places we haven’t been. But we tend to pick up recipes wherever we go. Got loads of time to practice them.”

“On the other side of the ocean? How long does it take to get there?” Arthur asked, starting to reach for a roll. Elia turned around with a pan of something and slapped his hand away with a spatula.

“Needs to cool,” she said. “And depending on where you want to go, not so long. We can get to some places in about eight hours by plane.”

“Plane?” Arthur asked, frowned at her as he rubbed his hand. Elia sighed as she shook her head.

“So much to catch you up on. But first. Breakfast.”

Once they had all settled around the island with full plates, Arthur dug into the food, stopping a moment to revel in the taste.

“This is amazing,” he murmured before tucking in with more gusto.

“Takes a lot less time to cook nowadays as well,” Elia said. “Thanks to all the new appliances. I do not miss cooking over a fire or having to constantly watch to make sure the bread’s not burning.” Arthur looked over at the couple, raising an eyebrow as his mouth was too full to speak.

“We’ll explain it later,” Merlin said, chuckling. “But first things first – we think it’s best that we go to The Willows today.” Arthur swallowed.

“Why?” he asked.

“We’re still not sure what your return means and the archives there are still intact. There’s a rather large collection on prophecies that we still haven’t made our way through,” she said. “Besides, we should probably check the great willow. It’s been awhile since we’ve been there.”

“The Willows still exists?” Arthur asked. “How?”

“Well… not in the way you remember, but it’s still there,” Merlin said. “We’ve managed to keep it protected. Keep others from snooping around or finding something they shouldn’t. All but one entrance has been shut down completely and that one is heavily protected by magic.”

“We’ll get ready and head out in an hour or so,” Elia said.

“Is that enough time to prepare?” Arthur asked. Elia and Merlin stared at him a moment before Elia started grinning.

“Lia, don’t. You know he’s got a lot to learn,” Merlin said.

“You have to admit that it’s a bit funny,” she said, looking at him as her eyes lit up. “He’s going to love the SUV.”

“What’s going on?” Arthur asked, straightening up.

“We don’t travel by horse anymore. We can get to The Willows in about an hour or so now,” Elia said. “By car.”

“Car?” Arthur asked, looking back and forth between them.

“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Elia said, starting to eat again as Merlin rolled his eyes. She was enjoying this way too much.

“Lia,” he warned.

“I promise not to make fun of him… too much,” Elia replied. Merlin just rolled his eyes again.

“Eat up,” he said, motioning to Arthur’s plate. “Going to be another long day…”

~~~

Arthur sat in shocked silence, watching as the countryside passed by quickly out the window of the SUV. Even Merlin had to smile in amusement at his reaction to the car as Elia fiddled with her phone, finally settling on a playlist before sitting back in the passenger seat, a pair of sunglasses on. Arthur whipped his head around to stare at the front console.

“It’s music,” Elia said before he could ask anything. “That’s also changed quite a lot.”

“That racket is what you call music today?” he said, grimacing slightly. He then turned to look out the window again.

“It’s not so bad once you get used to it,” Merlin replied. “Though Elia’s taste is a bit more eclectic than mine.”

“Oh, you like what I play,” Elia scoffed, swatting him on the arm.

“I’ll admit… would have liked to have had these things back then… would have certainly cut down on travel time for all those quests,” Arthur said, looking around the interior of the car. “Could have taken a lot more supplies as well.”

“Does make things more convenient,” Merlin replied. “No longer takes days to get around from place to place. And we can fit a lot more stuff in here than we could in a saddle bag.”

“Granted it can’t get us everywhere. We do live on an island still,” Elia replied. “There’s a train we can take that goes under the channel to the continent, but we’ve got to take planes for everything else.”

“Again, what are these planes?” Arthur asked.

“Giant metal contraptions that fly in the air. No one really uses ships that much anymore,” Elia said lazily. “Well, not to get somewhere. They take cruises around for fun.”

“I rather miss ships,” Merlin said. “They were a bit of fun.”

“Too much. I almost couldn’t talk you out of the Titanic, you were so hellbent on trying it out,” Elia said. “Where would we have been if we took that trip?”

“We were nowhere close to taking that trip,” Merlin scoffed. Elia snorted as she looked over at him.

“You were halfway through the letter to our executor to purchase the tickets!” she shouted. “If I hadn’t had that vision, imagine what would have happened!”

“But it was supposed to be the most glamorous ship ever! I just wanted to be a part of history!” Merlin exclaimed. “Could you blame me?”

“We would have been part of history, alright. In the worst sort of way,” Elia replied.

“Still think we should have said something,” Merlin replied. Elia rolled her eyes.

“There’s nothing we could have done to stop that, and you know it. They had a number of warnings that night that they ignored,” she said. “I didn’t even see that it was a bloody iceberg that sank it, just that it sank.”

Arthur watched the two as they went back and forth, playfully bickering about history. It seemed the two had created this whole new life together in this strange new world. A life that he knew nothing about. He couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. There was so much he didn’t know. He turned and looked back out the window, the conversation fading into the background with the music.

His thoughts drifted to the scenery before him. Some of the countryside looked the same. But there were things there that were very different. His thoughts turned to Gwen. When he found himself on the lakeshore, his first thoughts were of her. Seeing her. Taking her into his arms and promising that he would never leave her again. But when he found out just how much time had passed; a deep sadness had settled on him.

Gwen was gone. His knights were gone. Camelot was gone. He was no longer a king of anything. He only had Elia and Merlin to guide him in this new age. He was grateful for that. And grateful for their help so far in showing him how to navigate around their home. But he had to admit to himself, without Camelot, he felt purposeless.

He had always had purpose. Duty. There was plenty of that as crown prince. And then as king. Now… he wasn’t sure what it was he was to do. Merlin and Elia seemed set on this idea that there was some reason for his return. Some grand purpose for him in all this. But at the moment, he couldn’t see what it could possibly be. Not to mention they seemed much more capable to take on this task than him between their magic and knowledge of the current world.

“ARTHUR!” Elia shouted. He whipped his head around to look at her.

“What?” he asked.

“I was just saying that we’re nearly there,” she replied, looking at him from around the seat.

“So soon?” he asked. Elia smiled.

“It’s been nearly an hour and a half,” she replied. “You seemed lost in your thoughts.” Arthur nodded and looked back out the window, registering that they were now in a forest somewhere.

“Prepare yourself… it’s not the way you remembered it,” Merlin said. Arthur just nodded again.

He would never be ready for whatever was coming. But better now than never.

~~~

“What happened?” Arthur asked as they stepped up to a rock wall covered in dead vines.

“Magic left. That’s what happened,” Elia replied, staring at it. “Well… mostly. There was still enough left that I could seal off the borders. Needed Merlin’s help, though.” She glanced over at him and nodded.

Merlin put his hands up and started murmuring a spell at the same time that Elia started speaking elvish. After a few moments, the vines pulled themselves back and the rocks rumbled away, making an opening. The three then stepped through and entered the outskirts of the once powerful elven kingdom.

The massive trees were still there, but it was largely brown, with the same dead vines covering everything. Arthur was surprised to see the structures still standing, though they looked as though they had been long abandoned.

“I can understand why you wouldn’t want to come here often,” Arthur said, looking around as they followed a path that lead to the center of the once booming city. Here and there he could see flashes of the city he once knew. Elves walking down the paths. Laundry hanging out from windows. He blinked and suddenly it was all gone.

“We come by often enough to check on the wards and the great willow. But it’s become a bit less over the years,” Elia replied. Merlin reached over and took her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers as they walked. Arthur couldn’t help the twinge of pain that came across his heart.

He used to do that with Gwen while walking through Camelot.

Arthur looked away, finding it easier to look around the dead kingdom. They continued on in silence for some time before coming to a stop in front of what once was Elia’s palace. The stairs leading up to it were still standing, though they were nearly invisible under the twisted vines. After sighing, Elia kept walking on, making her way to the willow grove behind the palace.

“Everything seems about the same as the last time we were here,” Merlin said, looking around.

“Were you expecting something to be different?” Arthur asked.

“Yes,” Elia said, her focus on the large tree in the center. Arthur saw it and nearly stopped. He remembered the last time he saw it, the branches so full that you couldn’t see its trunk. Now its branches were bare. Merlin and Arthur stopped as Elia kept moving forward, making her way towards the trunk.

Once there, she knelt down, closing her eyes as she placed her hand on a large root.

“What’s she doing?” Arthur whispered to Merlin, watching her.

“Trying to sense the magic of the tree,” he whispered back. “If it’s there, it’s another sign.” Arthur nodded as the two continued to watch the elf. Finally, Elia stood with a deep sigh and looked over at them, shaking her head.

“I thought for sure there would be something,” she said, starting to make her way back to them.

“Doesn’t mean it’s not happening,” Merlin said encouragingly. Elia shrugged as she kept walking, though she suddenly stopped, her eyes widening.

“Did you feel that?” she asked, spinning around.

“Feel what?” Arthur asked as she scrambled back through the roots towards the trunk.

“Magic,” Merlin said, starting to grin as he ran up to follow Elia. Arthur started walking after him.

“Here!” Elia shouted, turning to look back at Merlin, her face in a bright grin. “It’s weak, but it’s here! Just barely pulsing, but it will grow stronger.”

Merlin reached her side and placed his hand next to hers, his smile growing as he felt a soft, slow throb there. It was much weaker than before, but it was still better than nothing. He looked over at Elia.

“It’s happening. Just as Faeranduil said,” she exclaimed. “It’s returning.” She looked up at the tree in awe, likely scanning the branches for new growth.

“So, the elves are coming back soon?” Arthur asked, getting their attention.

“I believe so,” Elia said, starting back towards Arthur. “Come on. We need to get to the archives.”

“Where are they?” Arthur asked, watching as Elia strode past him.

“We can get in through the palace, but they run almost the entire length of the city,” Merlin said. “Come on.”

~~~

“How did you come about this prophecy?” Arthur asked, watching as Merlin and Elia began heaving old, heavy tomes onto a table, the room now lit up with firelight thanks to Merlin. He couldn’t help but look around in awe at the giant cavern. They rivaled even the library of Camelot. No, they didn’t. They were much larger. Arthur had never seen anything so large.

“Well… part of it was given to us by the great dragon,” Elia said, opening a book and starting to skim through it.

“Said when Albion’s need was greatest, you would return,” Merlin added, looking through his own book. Arthur stepped up, looking over his shoulder.

“When did you learn elvish?” Arthur asked.

“It’s been over 1,000 years, remember?” Merlin said, glancing up at him. “He also said that our stories were not over.”

“And then back at Camelot, Faeranduil told me that he foresaw all of this,” Elia said. “That I was supposed to meet Merlin and we were supposed to be together. My mother as well. He then told me that I was to remain here with Merlin and help prepare the way for both your return and that of the elves.”

“Faeranduil? The crotchety old elf?” Arthur said.

“The one and the same,” Elia said. “Apparently he knew about us the whole time and didn’t say a word, the git.”

“He knew I would die,” Arthur said, frowning. “That Mordred would kill me.” Both Merlin and Elia looked up at him and then at each other.

“Well… we did as well. Some things could not be stopped,” Elia said. “We tried our damndest to save you… but nothing we did worked.” Arthur took a deep breath and walked away a bit, staring at the shelves of scrolls and books. “We’re so sorry.”

“It’s… nothing to be done about it now,” Arthur said, turning to look at them. “We have other things to look into. Namely what we do next.”

“If only we had been left a how-to manual,” Elia said dryly, returning her focus to the book before her. “But this is the best we’ve got.”

“Have you read all these books?” Arthur asked.

“Fair amount,” Merlin replied. “But not all of them.”

“We’ve spent years searching them for some sort of clue or hint at what to expect. The elves were rather fastidious at recording prophecies. But… we haven’t managed to find much of anything yet,” Elia said.

“What makes you think you’ll find something now?” Arthur asked.

“We have to try,” Merlin replied. Elia looked over at him, sighing.

“We should probably take them back with us. We’ll be here days if we try to get through all of it here and I’m not one for camping out. Even if the wyverns and chimera have died out,” she said.

“I agree. Don’t really get a good feeling being here,” Arthur said, looking up at the ceiling where he could see a number of roots decorating it. “Feel like it could collapse at any moment.”

“This is one of the finest elven-built structures in the land. It won’t collapse,” Elia said, rolling her eyes. “But we need your help. Get over here. We’ll take back a load of books on prophecy that we haven’t gotten to yet.” She was already walking back to a shelf. “Chop! Chop!”

Arthur frowned as he walked back over to Merlin, glancing over towards her.

“Still demanding,” he said with a sigh. Merlin chuckled.

“Not everything has changed.”


	3. Tale As Old As Time

The large dining room table in Elia and Merlin’s home was covered in dusty books, scrolls, and parchments. They had managed to bring back a decent number from The Willows among the three of them, adding to the large amount that they already had on hand. Elia quickly scanned through the pages of each book before discarding it in a growing pile on the floor next to her. Merlin wasn’t moving nearly as quickly, but both were near quiet as they worked.

Arthur had looked through a few, before quickly abandoning them when he saw them written in elvish. Though he had finally managed to find a few in English and started reading through them. He was distracted though, his thoughts returning to what he had seen at The Willows. While it was long abandoned and had been dead for many centuries, it was still there. He wondered about his own home.

“What about this?” Elia asked, her eyes fixed on a page as she patted Merlin on the shoulder. The sorcerer stopped his own reading and looked over at it, his brow furrowed. He read a bit and shook his head.

“I don’t think that’s related,” he said. Elia looked up at him.

“Well… maybe there’s something,” she replied.

“Does Camelot still stand?” Arthur asked suddenly, interrupting their conversation. Both looked over at him, their eyes wide.

“What?” Elia asked.

“The Willows… it was still there. Does any of Camelot still stand?” he asked.

“Arthur… we told you… Camelot… it doesn’t exist anymore,” Merlin said softly.

“I want to see it,” Arthur said sternly.

“Are you sure about that?” Elia asked softly. “It’s… it’s not the same.”

“I don’t care,” he retorted, staring at her. “I need to see it.”

She took a deep breath and looked over at Merlin, her worry evident. Merlin’s gaze was fixed on Arthur, as though he were going back and forth on a decision.

“Suppose we can take you,” Merlin finally said.

“But-” Elia started.

“He has a right,” Merlin said, cutting her off as he looked over at her. “Even if it’s not there… he has a right. It was his home.” Elia was silent a few moments before nodding.

“Very well… not like we’re making much progress with this at the moment. We can take some time to go tomorrow,” she said, looking over at Arthur. “Just… prepare yourself… it’s… it won’t look like The Willows.”

“I should hope not,” Arthur replied.

“It’ll be worse,” she said bluntly. Arthur frowned as he went silent. “It’s been abandoned, but… we could not protect it. Not like with The Willows. Time has ravaged it. There’s not much still there…”

“I can handle it,” Arthur replied, standing from the table.

“Where are you going?” Merlin asked. Arthur stopped, suddenly wondering the same thing. He thought about going to bed, but it was still early.

“Perhaps… you might want to watch the telly?” Elia offered. “Could help you catch up on stuff.” Arthur turned to look at her and Merlin, then nodded.

“Sure,” he said. She stood and walked ahead of him, leading him to the living room. She reached down and picked up the remote, turning it on. Arthur was still fascinated by the contraption. She walked over to him, holding it out.

“This changes the channel - er - if you don’t like what’s on, you can change it. This makes it louder and softer. If you want to turn it off, press this button,” she said, pointing out the various things. Arthur nodded and took it from her then sat on the sofa, leaning towards the TV. Elia watched him a moment before returning to the dining room table and sitting back down.

“You sure it’s a good idea? Taking him to Camelot?” she asked softly, looking up at Merlin.

“We both knew that he’d want to go at some point. Probably best to get it out of the way,” Merlin replied. Elia nodded as she looked back over at Arthur.

“I still can’t believe he’s back,” she said. “All those years of waiting… and now he’s sitting in our living room watching a chat show…”

“And we’ve no idea what’s coming,” Merlin added. “Other than it’s going to be big. And the elves are coming back as well.”

“Best get back to work then,” Elia said with a sigh as she looked back down at the book. “Surely we’ll find something that might point us in the right direction.”

“I still can’t believe you lot had this many books on prophecy,” Merlin said, now looking back at the book in front of him.

“We did live for thousands of years before you,” Elia replied with a smirk. “Saw lots of things and wrote them down. And then wrote down those from the druids and sorcerers as well.”

“Surely we’ll find something…”

~~~

The drive to the location of Camelot was mostly quiet. Arthur sat in the back seat, looking out at the scenery just as he did the day before when they went to The Willows. Elia and Merlin kept glancing at him, the only sound being that of the music playing softly. They didn’t have the heart to talk, knowing that this would likely be a difficult day for him. Seeing Camelot after so long. Walking around it.

No one but themselves knew what it truly was. Over the centuries, the local mortals had come to see it as just another set of ruins littering the landscape. And it had long gone by another name, though there were still stories and legends that it could be the legendary home of King Arthur. A local group had taken over the preservation of the ruins, though Elia and Merlin used a foundation they created to help keep it funded. They believed it part of their duty to look after the place as they waited for Arthur. Though they had hoped to keep it from falling into ruin, there hadn’t been much they could do until much later.

“We’re here,” Elia said as Merlin pulled down a forest lane that would lead them up to the parking lot next to the castle ruins. Arthur turned, watching intently as they came out of the forest and started up a hill. It was bare, which shocked him. In the past, they would be in the lower part of the city by now.

“Where is everything?” he asked, looking around.

“We told you… it’s changed a lot,” Merlin said, glancing back at him before returning his focus to the road ahead. “As the country progressed, other, more prosperous cities popped up. People started moving to them. Course, once the five kingdoms had ended, they needed a central location for the monarchy. And it wasn’t here.”

There was more silence as they came up to the top of the hill and parked. There were a few other cars there and some people could be seen moving around in the ruins, stopping every so often to read signs that were put up.

There was nothing left but a few crumbling walls and stones sitting around in random places. Merlin hadn’t even had a chance to turn the car off before Arthur was opening the door and striding towards it. Elia shot Merlin a worried look before getting out and jogging to catch up to him.

“Arthur!” she called out. He kept going, looking around him. By now, Merlin was also out of the car, running to catch up. The few people nearby sent odd looks towards them, no doubt piqued by the fact that she had called him Arthur. They were likely there because of the rumors that this was the real Camelot.

If only they knew just how close to the truth they were.

Arthur finally came to a stop in the middle of the ruins, looking around him. He had managed to find the spot where the great hall had once stood. Silently, he dropped to a knee, his hand reaching out and running through the grass.

Merlin stopped when he reached Elia’s side, the two of them giving Arthur a few moments. Arthur looked up and around him.

“The thrones used to sit over there,” Elia said, pointing down a ways from them.

“I know,” Arthur said curtly. “I think I would remember my own castle… even if it’s in ruins.” Elia looked up at Merlin, who just shook his head slightly. Arthur then pushed up, standing and looking around him. “I knew it would be gone, but… I had hoped… maybe there was… something left… Something more than this…”

“There are a lot of happy memories here. That’s left,” Elia ventured, earning a frown from Merlin. She walked up to Arthur’s side, looking around. “Feasts. We had one here for our wedding.” She looked over and motioned towards one side. “Gwen took to keeping fresh flowers in here. All over the place, actually. The entire place felt… airy… because of that…”

Merlin cleared his throat and stepped up to Elia’s side.

“Leon’s wedding was here. And Percival’s. Had some grand feasts after those,” he added, glancing over at the king. “Birthday parties and the like.” Arthur’s jaw was clenched tight as he began walking, silently taking in everything. Elia and Merlin softly began to tell him tales from the time after he died. Of the knights and their families. Though both were cautiously staying away from too many stories about Guinevere.

Arthur finally came to another stop, his mind overcome with memories. Here was where he had snuck a kiss with Guinevere before they married. Before they could marry. And there was where they would often stroll around the castle after they were wed, taking in the afternoon sun.

His heart clenched in pain as he thought to the life he had lost.

“You haven’t mentioned Gwaine,” he said suddenly, still not looking at Elia and Merlin. They looked at each other. “Did he ever settle down? Or was he forever a bachelor?”

“He, ehm, he… Morgana killed him… in her search for you,” Merlin said softly. Arthur nodded silently. He looked over at the two.

“And Gwen?” he asked softly.

“Well… she was a good queen. Strong queen. The country flourished under her rule,” Elia said. Arthur looked away, starting to walk again. Merlin frowned, glancing down at Elia who shook her head. She knew what he wanted to say, but now was not the time. “Don’t,” she said softly so that Arthur wouldn’t hear. “Not yet…” Merlin glanced over at his friend, obviously pained. He wanted to tell Arthur everything, but he knew Elia was right. Now was not the time or place. Not with others nearby. And it seemed the newly resurrected king could only handle so much information at once.

Being here was enough. While Arthur had been mostly silent up until now, he would have many questions at some point. And they needed to go to London before they could answer all of them.

~~~

It was dusk when they had arrived back to the house after spending some time at the ruins. Arthur still hadn’t said much, only gotten out of the car and walked into the house. Elia and Merlin followed him, sending each other furtive glances the whole way.

Arthur stopped in the living room a moment before continuing on and stepping out the back door to the garden. Merlin started to follow, but Elia stopped him.

“Let me,” she said. “He wants to know more about Gwen… I can give him something… We did become best friends after everything.” She started towards the door.

“We should tell him…” Merlin said, stopping her. Elia stopped and turned to look at him. “It’s not right… keeping it from him this long…” She swallowed as she nodded.

“I know, but… it’s for the best,” she said. Merlin nodded in return. Elia then continued on, walking into the garden. She found Arthur standing in the middle of it, looking around at the various plants and flowers.

“Is it magic?” he asked, glancing back at her. “That helps this grow?”

“Yes,” she said, bending down to look at a bloom. “One of our gifts along with healing and visions. I brought some seeds and soil from The Willows. Took a few tries with some of the mortal plants, but I got them growing well.” She glanced up at him. “Helps to grow our own ingredients for things. Some of the herbs and plants we’re used to using are hard to come by nowadays.”

“And no one knows about this?” Arthur asked. Elia stood and looked back at the blooms.

“Not really. That’s why we have the high wall around it, so it’s not noticeable to outsiders,” she said. “Not that anyone would actually believe that we have a magical garden anyway.”

“But how do you care for it when you’re away?” Arthur asked.

“We have a groundskeeper that comes by. We take measures to make sure they find nothing other than an ordinary garden,” she said lightly. Arthur nodded. Elia sighed and motioned for him to follow. She led him deeper into the garden to a table and set of chairs where she sat. She motioned to the chair next to her. Arthur walked over and sat into it. “You want to talk about today?”

Arthur sighed heavily as he looked around, breathing deeply of the beautiful scents around him.

“I just… I’m not sure what I had expected,” he said. “But I don’t think anything would have prepared me for what I saw…”

“That I can understand,” Elia replied. “I know how hard it must be for you…” Arthur looked over at her. “We stayed close by - Merlin and I. We looked out for her. Gwen and I became very close.”

“I am grateful for that,” he said, looking away. Elia frowned slightly, taking a deep breath. Her thoughts turned to back to all those years ago. Back when she and Merlin were at Camelot regularly…

~~~

_"Gwen? Gwen! Where are you?” Elia called out, moving through the palace corridors. The young queen had been missing for an hour and the knights were waiting on her to hold a council meeting. Elia knew she was somewhere in the castle; she just wasn’t completely sure where._

_She stopped in front of the doors leading out to the garden before pushing them open and striding out. It was the last place to be checked._

_Moving quickly, she looked around the various paths before stopping in a courtyard, seeing the queen seated on a bench, looking off at the flowers despondently._

_“There you are,” Elia said, smiling as relief filled her. Gwen looked over, a sad smile appearing on her face. Elia walked over and sat next to her. “What is it?”_

_“Just… needed some time to myself,” Gwen replied, looking back around her._

_“I can understand that… you don’t get much of that nowadays. Likely to get less in the days to come,” Elia replied. Gwen nodded. She then turned to look at Elia, her eyes filling with tears._

_“I don’t know how I’m supposed to do this… without him,” she said, her voice breaking. Elia reached out and pulled the queen into her arms._

_“I know,” she said softly. “But… you’re not alone… you have me and Merlin. Gaius. The knights. We’re all here to help you in whatever way you need…”_

_“Yes… I know… it’s just… I miss him. So much. I often look towards the doors, expecting him to come… walking in… that I will get to see his return,” Gwen said, starting to sob softly. Elia frowned. They did not know when Arthur would come back, but she felt like it would not be within Gwen’s lifetime. But now was not the time say such things. Not when the Gwen was still grieving his loss._

_“This isn’t easy, I know that much… but… you have so much strength in you,” she said softly. “You can do this.” Gwen nodded, still sobbing as she held onto Elia. “Arthur would want you to continue on… for his sake and for Camelot’s sake. But you are allowed to have these moments… they will come often, unfortunately. We both know this. It’s not the first loss either of us have faced.”_

_Gwen sat back up, wiping her face as she smiled over at Elia._

_“What would I do without your friendship?” she said. Elia smiled at her, blinking back her own tears._

_“As long as you live, Merlin and I will be at your side,” she vowed. “And we will look out for those that come after you… Camelot will remain safe.”_

_“Thank you,” Gwen said, finally managing to get herself under control. “Would you… sit with me a bit longer? I feel I need a bit more time before I face the others.”_

_“Of course,” Elia said._

_“Merlin’s rather lucky, you know… having you,” Gwen said. Elia laughed softly._

_“I always thought I was the lucky one,” she replied._

_“I knew from the moment I met you… you two were destined to be together,” she replied. “Though, we are all eager to perhaps see some little ones…”_

_A pained expression came over Elia’s face. She and Merlin had already had many long conversations about the same thing, but she knew that for now, it wasn’t possible. They didn’t know what was coming or when. She didn’t want to put their children at risk._

_“It’s not time,” she said honestly. Gwen nodded._

_“I understand,” she replied. The two sat in silence a few moments longer. Gwen then sighed and pushed up from the bench. “Think I’ve kept everyone waiting long enough…” Elia stood and offered her a reassuring smile._

_“Come then, Queen Guinevere,” she replied. “Let us head to the round table…”_

~~~

Elia looked over at Arthur, seeing the pain in his eyes. She swallowed and looked out at the garden.

“Gwen and I… we spent many hours in the gardens of Camelot. Talking,” she said. She could feel Arthur look over at her. “She was confident, but there were times when she had her doubts. And she thought of you often. Spoke of you often.”

“She did?” he asked. Elia nodded and offered him a soft smile.

“Of course,” she replied. “She carried you with her always… until the day she died.” Elia reached over and took his hand, squeezing it. “She took you as an example - continued on with the great work you had started. She… ended the ban on magic and those who practiced it, ushering in many years of peace and prosperity that lasted long after her.”

“She did?” he asked. Elia nodded.

“You would have been proud of her,” she said. Arthur nodded and looked away.

“You and Merlin… you’ve created quite the life for yourselves here,” he said, abruptly changing the subject as he pulled his hand from hers.

“Well, we had a lot of time,” she replied, looking around the garden herself. “This place… it didn’t look like this when we first started. It was just a humble little cottage. We added onto it a bit, then tore it down after a while to make this home. Been adding on here and there over the years. Then added the guest cottage over there. Suppose we didn’t need such a big place for the two of us, but we’ve collected a rather large amount of things that needed to be stored… And we wanted to have a place for you...”

Arthur looked back at the massive home, taking in the size of it. While it was nowhere near the size of the castle of Camelot, it was still rather large. A bit bigger than the others around it.

“How come you didn't fill all those rooms with tiny Merlins and Elias?” he asked, a hint of his old self coming through in his voice. “Figured that be the first thing you’d do.” Elia sighed.

“Trust me, he wanted to,” she replied. “And I suppose I do as well, but… we didn’t know what was coming and we felt it more important to focus on the tasks left to us. Not to mention, we weren’t sure just… how they might be gifted… there’s never been a union like ours.” Arthur looked over at her.

“But hadn’t you mentioned that some of the elves had married druids and had children before,” he asked.

“Druids can be warlocks and sorcerers, yes. But not all warlocks are druids. Merlin’s father was a warlock and a dragonlord. It’s through him that he inherited his gifts,” Elia explained calmly. Arthur was silent, taking in the information. While he had thought he understood a decent amount about magic, it seemed no one had had actually taken the time to sit down and explain it thoroughly to him.

“There were once a great many magical beings that lived in these lands, warlocks, sorcerers, druids and elves being but just some of them,” Elia replied. “Merlin was born with magic, yes. But he is something altogether different, even among sorcerers. We weren’t completely sure what that would mean for our children, considering who he is and that I’m one of the last elves of royal blood.”

“Does that make you different from other elves?” he asked.

“Yes,” Elia said. “We are more gifted. Stronger. It’s why the bloodlines were so strictly guarded and we were pushed to marry only other elves of royal blood. Or at least noble blood. In the end, there wasn’t enough of us left, so eventually the bloodlines would have been diluted anyway. Faeranduil was also the last of his royal bloodline - he was from one of the first kingdoms that faded.”

“Seems there’s much more to the elves than I thought,” Arthur murmured. “But… I can’t help but think that your children with Merlin would be rather powerful.”

Elia shrugged.

“Suppose they would,” she said. “But still… it’s a risk that I wasn’t willing to take… not until we knew the danger had passed… I wanted us to stay focused on the task at hand, not attempting to raise children in the middle of everything.”

The two remained silent a bit longer. Arthur glanced over at her a few times and then back at the garden.

“I am grateful to you two. For waiting,” he said. “I am sure that it must not have been easy putting your lives on hold indefinitely.” Elia smiled at him and shook her head.

“Think nothing of it, King Arthur. It was a duty left to us. And it hasn’t all been just sitting around and waiting. We’ve kept ourselves busy,” she said. She then stood. “Come on. You’re likely hungry. Sure Merlin’s got supper on by now.” She started towards the house.

“Yes…” Arthur said, quickly standing and walking passed her towards the house. Elia chuckled to herself as she followed.

“So many things to tell you…”


	4. You've Got a Friend in Me, Arthur

Elia stood and walked into the kitchen to make more coffee. She and Merlin had been back to work going through the texts for a few hours already that day and she found she struggled to keep her eyes open, even though she knew how important the work was. She glanced over, seeing Arthur laid out on the sofa, avidly reading one of the many various modern books that filled the bookshelves around the house.

He had leapt into reading and watching documentaries as much as he could, hoping to start picking up as much information about this new world. She hadn’t seen which book he had been glued to that morning, but he was nearly halfway through the large paperback. She hoped it was one of the many history books that littered the house.

“Could you bring me some too, Lia?” Merlin called out.

“Course,” she replied, continuing into the kitchen towards the coffee pot. Once it was going, she walked back to the dining room, grabbing Merlin’s empty mug and turning to go back into the kitchen.

“Merlin,” Arthur said, sitting up. “Did you know that your name has been turned into a curse word in this book?” He looked over at the couple as Elia froze, her eyes widening. She started grinning as she looked over a Merlin, a laugh growing inside her.

“Seems we know what he’s been reading,” she replied. Merlin shot her a scowl.

“Very funny, Lia. Did you give him that book?” he demanded.

“Course not! He’s been picking them out on his own,” she replied. Arthur chuckled from the sofa as he turned back to the book.

“Merlin’s beard… that’s a good one,” he said.

“It’s just a story,” Merlin shouted at him.

“It’s about magic,” Arthur said. “I thought you said no one believed in it anymore… have you been to this Hogwarts? Do they know that you’re still alive? Must have met them if they’re using your name as a curse word - know I certainly did a few times.” Elia couldn’t help it as she started laughing loudly.

“It’s just a children’s book,” Merlin snapped at him. The king looked up at him, still clearly amused.

“Just a children’s book, is it?” he replied.

“There’s seven of them,” Elia said, starting to walk into the living room. “And they made movies.”

“Elia, don’t,” Merlin said, sighing. “You’re just feeding the fire.” She laughed as she looked over at him, obviously entertained.

“Merlin isn’t that fond of them,” she said, still making her way over to the TV. “Merlin’s beard is one of my favorite, too. Though if you get on the internet, a lot of fans have written their own stories about it… come up with a few more interesting takes… nearly died laughing when I saw someone use the phrase ‘Merlin’s ball-’”

“LIA! SHUT IT!” Merlin shouted, cutting her off as Arthur looked back and forth between the two. Elia had already dissolved into giggles as she glanced over at him.

“Why do you hate it?” Arthur asked, looking over at Merlin. “It’s all about magic and they seem to revere you to an extent. Why, I don’t understand...”

“Yea, well, they didn’t exactly get it right,” Merlin replied, his displeasure clear on his face. “For starters, we don’t use wands… And I do not have a beard.”

“You do sometimes,” Elia replied. “And I find them entertaining.” She was already moving through a menu on the TV, searching for something.

“I don’t understand why. You saw what that, that... writer... did to elves! Turned them into tiny, meek little creatures. Slaves!” Merlin shouted. Arthur looked to Elia, who was rolling her eyes. They had obviously already had a fair amount of conversations about this.

“Yea, well, at least Lord of the Rings got a bit closer to the truth,” she said. “Not sure why they assume we all have long, straight hair, though…”

“Lord of the what?” Arthur asked, sitting up.

“Another literature series,” Elia said, still at work at the TV. “You can read that after you finish Harry Potter. Or watch the movies. They got those as well… Might be a bit easier than reading them… They’re long books and can get a bit tedious.”

Arthur leaned towards the TV as a film started up and Elia put the remote down.

“Are you seriously going to subject me to this again, Lia?” Merlin called out as she picked up the mugs again and walked into the kitchen.

“Yes,” she called back, the laughter evident in her voice. Merlin huffed as he sat back in his chair, glaring towards the kitchen. “You have to admit, they’ve become rather ingenious in the various takes on magic… despite not knowing anything about it or that it actually exists.”

“How exactly did that come about?” Arthur asked, glancing towards Merlin. The warlock scrunched his face slightly in concentration.

“It didn’t happen all at once,” he said finally. “Sort of… happened gradually over time… the druids began dying out as did the other magical creatures, warlocks and such… and then eventually, it was just me and Elia left.”

“And we were largely left out of history books,” Elia said, walking a fresh mug of coffee to Merlin before sitting next to him with her own.

“Why?” Arthur asked, confused. “If you were openly using magic, surely you’d be in there.”

“I am. We are. But as fewer people believed in magic, they were sort of relegated to myth and fairy tales rather than history,” Merlin said. “Even then, a lot of historians and writers took a load of liberties with it. Especially with you and Mo-”

“I don’t think he needs to know about that.” Elia said, cutting him off and hoping Arthur hadn’t caught it. “They can’t seem to decide if you were even real, Arthur. As for the elves, we’ve been dubbed strictly fantasy. Though Halloween is always fun. It’s the one night a year I can go without the enchantments on my ears.” Arthur looked over at the two, clearly confused by all their talk. “Just enjoy the movie, Arthur…”

He turned back to face the TV, though kept glancing over at the two every so often as they returned to their books.

“Really, is it so bad?” Elia asked softly, glancing at him with a smile still on her face. Merlin looked at her and then back at the book.

“No… suppose they aren’t half bad… just don’t like that everyone assumes I was some wrinkly old man,” he replied. Elia chuckled softly.

“You’ll always be handsome to me - even when you are old and wrinkly,” she said, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “And that’s all that matters, isn’t it?”

“Suppose so…”

~~~

Later that evening, Merlin was still hard at work at the dining room table, while Elia had gone down to the basement, looking through some of the other texts they kept there for safe-keeping. Some of the books and scrolls they had were rather fragile and needed to be kept in a special room, lest they crumble or disintegrate.

Another of the Harry Potter movies had just finished and Arthur stood, walking over to the table. While he found them enjoyable to an extent, he was starting to feel a bit restless. Not to mention after a while, he felt a bit ridiculous watching children’s movies all day while Elia and Merlin were hard at work.

“Find anything?” he asked, glancing down at the unusual symbols and flowing script on the pages. It was an odd language, to be sure. The more he stared at it, the more awe he had for Merlin for learning it. Couldn’t have been easy.

“Not yet,” Merlin said with a sigh as he sat back and looked up at Arthur. “But we’ve got a lot of books to search through. Wish I had thought to take better notes when I read through some of these the first-time round…”

Arthur nodded and proceeded to look around at the various pages, a tense expression on his face.

“What is it, Arthur?” Merlin asked. Arthur glanced at him and then back at the pages.

“Just… I can’t seem to figure out why it is I’m back,” he said.

“Because Albion needs you,” Merlin responded immediately, as though it was obvious.

“Yes, but how?” Arthur asked, sounding testy. Merlin frowned, thinking over it before answering. “It seems that you and Elia are much more… adept at handling whatever is coming,” Arthur continued, not looking at him. “You seem to fit right into this new world, whereas I… I can’t even figure out how to use that blasted contraption in the other room.” He motioned towards the TV.

“Well, I wouldn’t bother yourself with that. Took me awhile to figure it out as well. They just keep getting more complicated,” Merlin said.

“You know what I mean, Merlin,” Arthur said with a sigh. “I don’t know anything about… well… anything. I’m not good at anything anymore.”

“You’re good at plenty of things. Fighting. Strategizing. Leading,” Merlin said, his brow furrowed.

“Yes, but what good is it now!?” Arthur shouted, his frustration getting the best of him. Merlin was silent, his eyebrows shooting up. “From what I’ve seen, there’s no need for a sword or bow anymore! And how can I lead when I haven’t the foggiest idea what anything is or how to use it?! You said yourself that no one uses a sword anymore - it’s all… guns and bombs and, and… planes! I don’t know anything about those things! How am I supposed to lead a country when I don’t know a damn thing about it? Especially a country that already seems to have a leader.”

It was that moment that Merlin realized that they hadn’t explained to him that the monarchy was now just ceremonial for the most part. No matter. They could get to that later. Now didn’t seem to be the time to start explaining democracy.

“Suppose we should have had you watching something else today,” Merlin replied, earning another glare from Arthur.

“Watching, what are they? Movies? Watching movies isn’t going to help me, Merlin,” he retorted. Merlin quickly jumped to his feet and walked over to Arthur, taking him by the shoulders.

“You are the Once and Future King, Arthur,” he said. “Possibly the greatest king in England’s history!”

“But you’ve said that people can’t even agree upon whether I actually existed! I’ve been made into fairy tales!” Arthur shouted.

“There is power in those stories, Arthur,” Merlin said. Arthur just stared at him. “Do you remember that day in the woods? When you thought you couldn’t win back Camelot?”

“You told some story and then I pulled a sword from a stone,” Arthur said.

“Yes, and everyone saw that you were a great king. They stood behind you. They believed in you,” Merlin said. “They may all be gone now, but I’m here. Elia’s here. And we believe in you. Someday soon, others will see the great king that you are and they will believe in you too. This is your destiny.”

Arthur remained quiet, thinking it over.

“You’ve got to believe in yourself, Arthur. You came back for a reason. And that’s because the land needs you,” Merlin continued. “Yes, we don’t know for sure what is coming or what will happen, but that doesn’t matter. All that matters is we will figure it out and we will win.”

“How can you be so sure? Things didn’t work out so well last time around,” Arthur replied. “I died.”

“But things did work out. Camelot found peace for a very long time because of you. Because of what you did and built,” Merlin said. “And I know that everything will work this time. Why else would you come back?”

The two were silent a few more moments before Arthur sighed and shook his head.

“It’s all… a bit much,” he said, stepping away from Merlin.

“I know. And I know there’s a lot about this time for you to learn, but we’ll help you. That’s why we’re here after all; it was the task given to us,” Merlin said. Arthur glanced over at him and then down back at the parchments. “We will figure this out… together.”

Arthur nodded, sighing as he looked up at Merlin.

“Thank you. I am grateful for everything. Forgive me if I’m just a bit… overwhelmed at the moment,” he said. “I think I’ll turn in.”

“Very well. Let me know if you need anything,” Merlin said.

“I will,” Arthur said, walking towards the stairs and then disappearing up them. Merlin sighed heavily as he looked down at the books and parchments. He understood Arthur’s frustration. He was starting to feel that way himself, being unable to figure out what they were up against. He and Elia had read through many a prophecy over the years and had yet to see anything specifically related to Arthur’s return, other than he would come back. He stayed up late into the night, searching through the news and current events, trying to see if there was anything that could be remotely related, but so far found nothing.

He wondered if Elia was right, this was all about the return of magic and the elves rather than some catastrophe. He liked that idea more so than another war. He moved to sit back down, but then thought again. He wanted to speak with Elia.

~~~

“Where’s Arthur?” Elia asked without looking up as Merlin walked up to the large work table they had inside a climate-controlled room of the large basement.

“Went to bed,” he replied, stepping up to her side and looking over her shoulder. “Find anything?”

“No,” she said with a heavy sigh, looking up at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Arthur is doubting himself,” he replied, leaning against the table and looking over at her.

“Then you need to reassure him,” she said matter-of-factly. “Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve done so.”

“I know, but this is different,” Merlin said. “He doesn’t understand the world anymore. Doesn’t know what his place is here. To be honest, I’m not so sure either.” Elia stood up and placed her hands on Merlin’s cheeks, making him look at her.

“I know this is all confusing, but you will find a way,” she said. “I believe in you. And I believe in him.” Merlin smiled slightly.

“You and that optimism of yours,” he said, pushing off the table and wrapping his arms around her waist. Elia smiled up at him.

“Someone had to cheer you up over the years,” she replied as she slid her hands down to his neck.

“And you have gotten quite good at it,” he replied, leaning closer towards her.

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Elia said just before their lips met. She pulled him closer towards her as Merlin easily lifted her up and turned, sitting her down on the table. Elia let out a shout of surprise and started laughing. “Why, Merlin…” she said coyly.

“What? Can’t I return the favor?” he asked, smiling at her. Elia chuckled as she pulled him closer and wrapped her legs around him. Merlin’s hands were already moving down her sides to her thighs, starting to push up the oversized sweatshirt she had been wearing and reaching underneath it.

“Suppose there’s nothing wrong with that… cheer away...”

~~~

Elia sighed as she leaned back on the table, looking over as Merlin fixed his trousers.

“Good thing we bought such a sturdy table for down here,” she said, looking down at it and giving it a solid pat with her hand. Merlin chuckled.

“Yes, this is exactly what I had in mind when we purchased it,” he replied, leaning over to kiss her briefly. Elia smiled at him, then looked down at the books and parchments spread out. The smile started to fall from her face.

“I’ve been thinking,” she said.

“What?” Merlin asked, a worried look quickly filling his face.

“I think it’s time we took Arthur to London,” she said, looking up at him. “You’re right that he needs to know.” Merlin looked away a few moments, thinking it over. “Perhaps if he knew more about the past, it would… help give him some sort of… guidance. Purpose. Motivation. Regardless, he’d want to know and he’ll be sore if we wait too much longer…”

“Yea… I think you’re right,” Merlin finally said, looking back at her. “And you were right about waiting until we got there. It wouldn’t do him any good if we told him here.” Elia smiled slightly.

“I usually am right,” she replied. Merlin chuckled softly as he leaned against her, wrapping his arms around her again.

“I know,” he said. “I have been married to you for over 1,000 years now. I’d like to think I’ve learned a lot about you over the years.”

“Ah, yes, but still I always find a way to surprise you,” she replied, grinning at him.

“And there’s that,” he said.

“I meant what I said earlier. You’ll figure this out - both of you,” she said. “We will.”

“I know,” he replied.

Elia kissed him again, then hopped off the table, bending down to retrieve her discarded knickers from the ground.

“We should get some sleep. We’ll need to get up early to pack and then we’ve got a drive ahead of us,” she said, starting to walk towards the door. Merlin reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back against him as he kissed her neck.

“Can’t we stay a bit longer?” he asked. Elia chuckled.

“So soon?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not just yet, but… you have to admit having Arthur just a few rooms away makes it a bit… less romantic,” he said. Elia laughed as she turned in his arms.

“Fine… but then we really need to get some sleep,” she stated.

“Of course…”


	5. Who Is That Girl I See?

To say that Arthur was fascinated with London would have been an understatement.

As soon as they entered the city, his face had been plastered to the window, looking around at all the people, the buildings, the cars and other vehicles. Elia and Merlin couldn’t help but chuckle to themselves, entertained by his childlike fascination with everything. While Camelot had been one of the largest cities at the time, it was nothing compared to the modern city.

“This is… something else,” he said, his eyes wide as he took in all the signage. “So everyone has these cars?”

“Well, most people. Suppose a lot of folks that live here don’t need them with the tube and buses,” Elia said. Arthur turned to look at the front seat.

“Buses are those large ones you see. The tube is an underground train of sorts,” Merlin said, thankful he had at least been able to explain trains to the king before. Arthur nodded and turned to look back out the window.

“You have a home here?” he asked.

“A townhouse,” Elia said. “We couldn’t fit everything at the countryhouse, so bought this place and customized it for our needs. Not to mention, London is a lot more lively. It’s nice to come stay every so often for a bit of fun.” Merlin glanced at her before returning his eyes to the road.

“Just how rich are you?” Arthur asked, looking back at them.

“We have enough,” Elia said lightly. “Being around as long as we have, you acquire a lot of things. Money being one of them.”

“All necessary, mind you,” Merlin said, glancing back at Arthur. “We need it to keep up our archives. We also use a few foundations to help preserve some things… like Camelot, for one.”

“Didn’t seem to do a fair job there,” Arthur muttered.

“And to travel,” Elia added, ignoring his comment. Arthur nodded slowly, seeing Merlin in another light. He had always seen him as a servant, but it seems in this new world, anyone could become, well, anything.

It was so different from what he was used to.

“You mentioned that you’ve done a few things over the years,” Arthur said.

“I’ve been a nurse, a doctor, a painter,” Elia listed off. “Few other things here and there. We owned a pub for a bit before we realized it was too much work.”

“And I’ve started a few businesses,” Merlin said. “All of them still going and doing well. We benefit from them, though we’re no longer directly involved with them.”

“Merlin’s rather good at it,” Elia said, reaching over to play with his hair. Arthur looked away, once again feeling pain at the small gesture of affection between them, his thoughts turning to Gwen. “He’s also become quite the scholar. Was a history professor at a university for a time. And a physician as well… he took over at Camelot after Gaius passed on.”

“Seems you kept rather busy,” Arthur said. They were now entering a more quiet part of the city. One that seemed to be mostly rows of fancy homes, though a fair amount of people were still out and about on the sidewalks. They passed some small stores and other businesses as well.

“We’re almost here,” Elia said, drawing him out of his thoughts. Arthur nodded as he sighed. He wasn’t sure why the two were so insistent on coming here, but he would trust that there was a good reason.

~~~

Elia came down to the first floor after putting away her things upstairs. She looked around the large townhouse, searching for Merlin and Arthur.

“Merlin?” she called out.

“In here!”

She walked back into the kitchen, finding Merlin standing in front of the fridge.

“Told you we’d need to go to the shops. Didn’t have time to call ahead and get the housekeeper to stock things before we left,” she said, frowning at him. “Where’s Arthur?” Merlin shut the fridge and looked over at her.

“Upstairs getting settled,” he said. Elia frowned.

“No, he’s not. I checked. Thought he was down here with you,” she replied. The two started looking around the large home for him. Elia walked out into the front hallway, stopping as her eyes widened. She took in the front door, which was now standing open.

“Christ, Merlin!” she shouted. He ran up to her. “Arthur’s gotten out.” She started for the door.

“What harm could he get himself into? He’s a grown man,” Merlin said, following her. Elia rolled his eyes.

“Yea, a grown man who was last awake in the year 500 who is now on his own in one of the largest cities in the world,” she shouted. “Without a mobile.”

“Ah, good point,” he replied, quickly following her.

“We need to find him before he gets himself into trouble!”

~~~

Arthur couldn’t help but look around the neighborhood in awe. It was bustling and for a moment, he felt as though he was back in Camelot. That is if he closed his eyes and tuned out the noise of the cars driving up and down the road and honking their horns.

He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he found himself in a sort of square lined with shops and grocers. He paused every so often, looking through windows. People were laughing or talking with one another. Others were looking down at rectangular objects that he remembered Merlin calling a mobile.

He then looked out at the people outside, all seeming to be on their way somewhere, striding purposely. Some had little strings coming out of their ears, which he found odd. It was fascinating.

Arthur continued looking around, but then stopped, frowning as he caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the crowd. He then started walking again, moving around people as he tried to catch up to the figure. His eyes widened as the person in question stopped for a moment, bending over to look at a display of flowers, the face clearly visible.

Arthur’s heart stopped for a moment as his eyes widened. It couldn’t be. Could it?

“Gwen?” he said softly. The woman straightened up and starting walking again. “Gwen? Gwen!” Arthur shouted, taking off through the crowd.

Elia and Merlin had just entered the square and stopped, seeing Arthur take off at a run, shouting out his dead wife’s name.

“Bugger,” Elia muttered as she and Merlin started running to catch up to him. She had been more worried about Arthur getting lost, but she had never thought about the fact that he might confuse someone for Gwen. Perhaps it was too soon to bring him there. Especially if he was going to chase down every woman who looked like her from a distance.

“Arthur!” Merlin shouted. “Wait up!”

Arthur plowed through the crowded square, pushing people aside and earning more than one glare and shouted insult. But he paid no mind to any of it, his eyes fixed upon the figure just in front of him, wearing a flower-covered dress.

“Gwen!” he shouted, as he caught up to her, grabbing her arm. The woman spun around, an angry look on her face.

“Let go of me, you wanker!” she shouted as she yanked her arm out of his grasp. He stared at her, confused.

“But it’s me…,” he said, his blue eyes searching her brown ones for some sort of recognition there. Elia and Merlin finally caught up to him, both of them freezing as they took in the woman. Outside of her short hair, she was the spitting image of Guinevere. Elia glanced over at Merlin, her green eyes questioning if it were even possible.

“Look, I don’t know you. I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m not this Gwen. My name is Elizabeth. And I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your hands off,” she shouted. Immediately, Elia rushed up and grabbed Arthur’s arm, pulling him back.

“I’m so sorry, miss. He’s our cousin and just got out of hospital. He’s still a bit confused,” she said.

“Why must you insist on telling everyone this lie?” Arthur said, glaring at her as Merlin stepped up to his other side.

“Really, we’re so sorry. You just… really look like an old friend of ours that we haven’t seen in years,” he said. The woman looked at Elia and then Merlin, for a second a flash of something in her eyes. But then she shook her head and returned to scowling.

“Keep a closer eye on him, will ya?” she said.

“Of course,” Elia responded immediately. She frowned at Arthur. “Let’s get back to the townhouse, Arthur. You’ve had enough excitement for today.”

“Do not speak to me like I’m some child, Elia,” Arthur said sternly as he allowed her to lead him away.

“Arthur? Elia?” the woman said. Merlin turned to look at her.

“What was that?” he asked. The woman shook her head.

“Nothing. Just sounded familiar,” she said, looking at him. “I won’t report this… just… keep him on a tighter leash.”

“We will,” Merlin said. She then turned and walked away, though glanced back at the trio over her shoulder. Merlin sighed and moved to catch up with Elia and Arthur, who were now bickering.

“You saw her! It was Gwen!” he shouted.

“Gwen died a long time ago,” Elia said tersely. “I should know, I was at her funeral.”

“Then who was that?” Arthur asked, pointing back behind him. “Maybe, maybe-”

“Maybe nothing, Arthur. Gwen is dead. Likely you just saw one of her descendents,” Elia said. Arthur stopped on the sidewalk, looking down at Elia who was forced to stop with a jerk.

“Her what?” he asked. Elia grimaced as Merlin finally caught up to them.

“Though we agreed to ease him into this?” Merlin said, gritting his teeth. Elia shot him a look.

“That was the main reason we brought him here,” she retorted.

“What are you not telling me?” Arthur demanded. Elia sighed and started pulling Arthur down the sidewalk.

“Let’s get inside before we start this story…”

~~~

Arthur was glaring from where he sat at the dining room table while Merlin leaned against the wall, both of them waiting on Elia. She walked into the room and sat next to Arthur, a large case in her arms. She placed it on the table in front of them gently. Arthur reached out to touch the worn leather, getting a quick slap on the hand from Elia.

“It’s old and I don’t want you ruining it or anything in it,” she snapped, throwing a pair of white gloves in front of him. He noticed she was already wearing a pair. He slid them on as Elia opened the case. Lying inside was a pile of old parchment covered in thin paper. Elia pulled the paper off and set it aside, revealing an old painting of Guinevere.

“I did this quite some time ago,” she said, picking up the painting and putting it aside. The next was a pencil sketch of Guinevere sitting in chair in front of a window, gazing lovingly down at a babe in her arms. Arthur’s eyes widened as he leaned forward. “The final paintings are hanging in a climate-controlled room in the cellar. I’ll take you down in a bit, but I rather like these better. And this,” she glanced up at Merlin then back down at the drawing, “is why we waited until we were here to tell you. We wanted you to see for yourself.”

“She… she remarried,” Arthur said, still looking at the drawing. Elia looked up at Merlin, her eyes wide.

“She didn’t,” he said, pushing off from the wall. “She discovered she was with child shortly after you died.” Arthur looked up at him, his eyes even wider.

“I had a child?” he asked.

“Two. Twins,” Elia said. “A boy and a girl. Arturos ruled for a rather long time - Gwen abdicated about 10 years before she died. Ariana married a crown prince from another kingdom and was queen for a long time as well.”

Arthur was silent as Elia put aside a few more drawings before stopping on a pair of teens in the gardens of Camelot. Arthur gently reached out and picked it up, staring at it as tears filled his eyes. Elia was talented. She had captured them in the midst of laughing about something. He could almost feel the breeze blowing through their hair.

“Why did you keep this from me?” he asked softly.

“We didn’t want to overwhelm you with too much information at once,” Merlin said. “And… we wanted to wait until we could show you the drawings and paintings. We keep them here for safekeeping. That’s why we wanted to bring you to London.”

Arthur looked up at him, his face hardening.

“Anything else I should know?” he asked.

“You had four grandchildren and about 15 great-grandchildren,” Elia said softly. “I’ve got drawings and paintings of all of them. Saved them for when you came back. After awhile, Merlin and I felt it better if we weren’t directly involved in court affairs… But we always kept watch of your family. Until your descendants became too many to follow…”

“So that woman - Elizabeth. She could be my however many great-granddaughter?” Arthur asked, looking to her.

“That’s the most likely explanation,” Merlin said.

“What other explanation could there be?” Arthur asked, hope sneaking into his voice. Elia huffed.

“Don’t get his hopes up, Merlin,” she said softly.

“But it is a possibility,” he replied.

“But we don’t know that for sure,” Elia said.

“Still… it could happen...”

“What are you two talking about!” Arthur shouted, causing the couple to look at him.

“There’s been some mention of reincarnation,” Merlin started, causing Elia to roll her eyes.

“But it’s nothing but words. We’ve yet to see it and I would think that if it were true, we would have witnessed it in the last 1,500 years or so,” she replied.

“But it could be possible?” Arthur asked.

“Again, we don’t know. Not for sure,” Elia said, glaring at Merlin for getting his hopes up before they knew more about it. What’s more, he’d probably want them to start looking into it when they should be looking for prophecies. Arthur looked back down at the drawings, picking the one of the twins up again. He brushed his fingers lightly across the surface.

“I’d like to see the paintings,” he said, still looking at the drawing.

“Of course,” Elia said, her voice softening. “Follow me.” Arthur put the parchment down and stood, following as Elia walked out of the room, Merlin falling in behind him. She walked to a door and opened it, then went down the stairs, pulling her gloves off.

They entered a large wine cellar. For a moment, Arthur looked down the shelves of wine bottles in awe at the quantity.

“Collecting wine is a thing of Elia’s,” Merlin said.

“Never heard you complain,” Elia called back, still walking. “Though it’s still nothing like a good elven wine…”

“The cellar at the country house is even bigger,” Merlin continued. Arthur didn’t say anything, just clenched his jaw as they continued walking. Towards the back, Elia stopped in front of a glass door that was darkened. She punched a code into a box at the side and then placed her hand below it. It beeped and turned green, the door softly clicking open. As she pulled it back and stepped in, the room lit up, causing Arthur’s eyes to widen.

“More of this technology stuff or magic?” he asked, looking up and down the length of the room.

“Technology,” Elia replied, looking back to smile at him. While smaller than the wine cellar, the room was still quite large. Paintings lined the upper part of the walls while there were chests of drawers and bookshelves underneath them the entire length, likely containing more delicate treasures. “Most of the books we keep at the country house, but there are some here. This is mostly drawings and paintings. And jewels.”

“Jewels?” Arthur asked absentmindedly as he walked up to look at a painting of Guinevere standing in a brilliant red court dress, a crown on her head.

“We saved my elven jewels,” Elia said with a sigh. “Managed to get our hands on some of the crown jewels as well.” Arthur walked down the room, stopping in front of a large display of crowns and circlets. He recognized the intricate crown of flowers and another of branches - he had seen Elia wear them both. In the center was Guinevere’s crown with his own sitting next to it. He placed his hand on the glass protecting them. “We couldn’t save them all… some had to stay in the family and eventually passed down to the current royal family, but over the years, we managed to get a few…”

“Why?” Arthur asked, still staring at the crowns.

“We wanted to protect them… for you,” Merlin said. Arthur looked back at them. “We didn’t want them to be ravaged or lost in time.” Arthur nodded and looked back at the crowns.

“Thank you,” he said softly.

“Here… you’ll want to see this,” Elia said, walking passed him. Arthur followed her until they came to a large portrait on the far wall. It was of an older Guinevere with two young adults standing at either side of her. They were all smiling.

“I wish I could have known them,” Arthur said softly.

“You can,” Elia replied. Arthur looked at her, confused. “As best you can, anyway. Guinevere entrusted us with her journals. She wrote them for you…” She moved away from him and went over to a chest of drawers, pulling one open. Arthur followed her, looking into it. There were several small leather books laid out.

“She wrote these… for me?” he asked softly.

“She started after you died. Wrote in them nearly every day. We weren’t sure when you would return - if it would be during her lifetime or not. She wanted you to know everything,” Elia said. Arthur reached out and picked up one, gently opening it and seeing the familiar script there.

“Could I… could I have a moment?” he asked, his eyes still on the book.

“Of course,” Elia said, she then turned and walked out, leading Merlin with her. The two looked over at him one last time before walking towards the stairs.

~~~

Elia sighed as she fell into one of the chairs on the patio outside. Merlin followed, sitting in the other.

“What do you think this means?” he asked looking over at her. “I mean, it is possible… isn’t it? Despite what you said earlier...”

“I’m not sure, Merlin,” Elia said, looking over at him. “I suppose… I mean, we’re immortal. Arthur has returned from the dead. Perhaps this woman is the reincarnation of Gwen. Or perhaps she’s just a descendent who looks remarkably like her…”

“Just because we haven’t found much about it, doesn’t mean there isn’t more out there on the subject. Maybe it’s mentioned in one of the books we’ve yet to read from the archives,” he said, his brow furrowed. Elia looked out at the garden, her thoughts whirling.

“I know… but I didn’t want to get Arthur’s hopes up in case we’re wrong,” she said.

The two sat silently, each lost in the possibilities. It was rather strange to find a woman that looked exactly like Gwen - even a so many years removed descendent. Elia wished she had thought to get the young woman’s last name so she could look her up, determine her lineage. It would have been the fastest way to put to rest the theories.

She then sat up suddenly, her eyes widening.

“What is it?” Merlin asked, looking over at her.

“Faeranduil’s journals,” she said, looking over at him. “I nearly forgot it’s been so long since I read them… he mentioned reincarnation… I guess I didn’t think of it because he only mentions it in relation to the elves and druids…”

“Where are they? Perhaps we could look through them now,” Merlin said. Elia frowned as she groaned softly and sat back in her chair.

“I can’t remember,” she said. “It’s been… forever since I’ve looked at them. They could be anywhere.”

“Well, then… we start looking here. If we can’t find them, we’ll go back to the country house and search there,” he said brightly. Elia looked over at him. “We owe it to Arthur to at least find out.” She sighed and nodded.

“Fine...”


	6. A Spoonful of History

Elia shouted in frustration as she looked around the room in the basement. They had been through nearly all the drawers and shelves and had yet to find the journals. She was beginning to worry that they were at the country house and they would need to go back to retrieve them.

“I’m sure they’re here somewhere. We haven’t even started looking upstairs,” Merlin said, sensing her anger.

“I know,” she said. “I just wish I had them now.”

“Thought elves were patient,” Merlin replied, smiling at her. Elia just rolled her eyes and moved to the next cabinet, refusing to respond to him. With Arthur back, she was growing rather impatient. There was only so much time to figure out what was coming or how to help prepare for the elves return. They were wasting time searching for the journals, but at the same time, she knew that it would bug her until she figured it out now that Merlin had gotten it into her head that it could be possible.

And they did owe it to Arthur.

Right now, he sat upstairs, poring over Gwen’s journals. One look at him over breakfast told her that he had been up most of the night before reading through them, learning everything he could about the family he hadn’t known he had.

“He still reading?” she asked, glancing over at Merlin.

“Last I checked, but it’s been awhile. I should probably go up and work on lunch. He’ll be hungry soon. Us as well,” he said. Elia nodded.

“I’ll keep looking. You go look after him,” she said, returning to her search. Merlin walked over and kissed her cheek, then set out going upstairs.

~~~

_I often wonder how they will be. Who they will become. Arturos is set to be the next king, of course, but it is hard to judge what they will be like at this age. Already Arturos is quieter than Ariana. She is always babbling about something or giggling. But they are both such happy babes._

_Everytime I look down at them, I wish that you were here. That you were able to watch them grow. They change so quickly at this age, every day a bit bigger. A bit more of their personality showing. I see so much of you in both, though I am sure only time will tell just what they will be like. They certainly keep me busy, that is for sure._

_When I discovered I was with child, I felt my heart begin to soar. I had much joy to know that at least I was left with a part of you. When Gaius said he had heard two heartbeats, I was even more elated, though there was a bit of fear there. How am I to raise not one but two children without you at my side…_

~~~

“Arthur?” Merlin said walking into the sitting room. The king looked up at him, his eyes wide. “See you’ve been getting more reading in.”

“Yes,” Arthur replied, looking down at the book. “It’s hard to stop…” Merlin walked over and sat next to him.

“I can understand that,” he said softly.

“You knew them… Arturos and Ariana,” Arthur said, looking over at him. Merlin nodded.

“Gwen named Elia and I godparents,” he replied. “And well, she had her hands full running a kingdom and raising two tots. We helped out where we could. Between us and the knights, there was never a shortage of child minders.”

“What were they like?” Arthur asked. Merlin took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

“They certainly got into a bit of mischief when they were children. Left Gwen a bit exasperated at times. Always sneaking off and such. Stealing sweets from the kitchen. Tried to skive of their lessons when they could,” Merlin said, a fond smile coming across his face. Arthur remained silent.

“They were both very bright. Very brave,” Merlin continued. “Always did well at their studies. Arturos trained under the knights and Ariana - never wanting to be left out - trained under Elia. She was quite good at bow and riding. Arturos was a bit more serious than she was. Perhaps because he knew from a young age that he would eventually take over the throne. Granted Ariana had plenty to say about that. She was convinced it was because she was a girl, but really it’s because Arturos was older by a few minutes.”

“She wanted to rule?” Arthur asked.

“Course she did. And she got her chance. Her husband died before her and she reigned for another 15 years after him,” Merlin replied. “And before that, she was very opinionated. Her husband, he was a good man. They truly loved each other and he often took her advice. They ruled together for a long time before he passed.”

Arthur was silent, taking it all in. Merlin reached down and picked up one of the books. He opened it and briefly read through a random passage, smiling to himself. Gwen was writing about the day the twins had snuck off, thinking they could make it to The Willows on their own. He remembered it clearly.

~~~

_"These two are going to be the death of me,” Elia grumbled and she and Merlin rode through the forest, her keen eyes searching around the underbrush._

_“They’re only children,” Merlin replied, chuckling. She shot him a look._

_“They won’t be children much longer. And according to mortal years, they are old enough to know better,” she replied. “They’ll be 15 next month.”_

_“Still, Elia. I’m sure you recall what it was like to be their age. Or well, the equivalent to their age,” Merlin said. “They just want a bit more freedom.” Elia snorted. “Like you didn’t sneak off ever.” She shot him another look._

_“I didn’t leave the palace grounds,” she said haughtily._

_“But you did sneak off from your lessons,” Merlin replied. “I recall you telling me how many times Elidren was sent to find you.”_

_“Fine, but this is getting a bit ridiculous,” Elia said. “It’s the third time this week.”_

_“Go easy on them, Lia. Gwen is sure to give them a much sterner talking to,” Merlin said. Elia just rolled her eyes as they continued to ride. She then suddenly reined her horse and slid off it to the ground. She bent down and read the tracks in the dirt._

_“They were here not long ago,” she said, looking up. “Went this way.” She started walking forward, leaving her horse behind. Merlin hopped off his and moved to follow her. “Arturos! Ariana! If you come out now, perhaps I will go easy on you!”_

_“You honestly think that will work?” Merlin asked softly. Elia scowled at him before turning back to the task at hand._

_“You’re too easy on them, Merlin,” she said. “How will you fare with our children?”_

_“Wouldn’t know. Seems you don’t want to have any,” he retorted. Elia ignored the remark and continued moving forward quietly._

_“Must you be so loud?” she asked, glancing at him._

_“I thought I had gotten better,” Merlin said._

_“Better… but you’re still no elf,” Elia said, a small smile on her face. “Another 50 years or so and perhaps you’ll learn.” She then stopped suddenly, putting her hand up. Merlin stopped walking and looked around the forest. “They’re near,” she whispered._

_She glanced up, catching a rustling in the tree above her. She smiled to herself and straightened up, crossing her arms in front of her._

_“Well, Merlin. I suppose I was wrong. They do not seem to be here,” she said loudly. “We should go back to the palace and inform the queen that her children are lost forever.” Merlin glanced up, catching sight of a boot._

_“Suppose you’re right,” he said, playing along. The two turned and started moving noisily away, then hiding behind a tree. Elia popped her head out. After a few moments, she saw Arturos drop down from the tree. He turned to help his sister, though Ariana landed much more gracefully next to him without help._

_“Told you I don’t need your help,” she retorted, smirking at her brother._

_“Come on. Let’s go or we’ll never get there,” he said with a huff._

_“Are you sure you’re even going in the right direction?” Ariana asked._

_“I’m sure. Auntie Lia said it was this way,” he retorted._

_“Still think you’re wrong,” Ariana said as they started walking._

_“Where are they going?” Merlin whispered._

_“Not sure,” Elia replied._

_“I know where The Willows is, Ari,” Arturos said. “I can read a map, you know.” Ariana snorted._

_“You couldn’t read a trail to save your life,” she said._

_“Can to!” Arturos shouted. Elia rolled her eyes as she stepped out from behind the tree, pulling her bow out and grabbing an arrow._

_“Lia,” Merlin warned. She just frowned at him before letting an arrow lose. It hit the ground between the twins. They both jumped back from it and slowly turned around, looking at Elia, wide-eyed._

_“You didn’t honestly think you’d get all the way to The Willows before we caught you, did you?” she asked, smiling slightly. Arturos rolled his eyes._

_“Told you,” he retorted, glaring at Ariana._

_“Come on, you two. Let’s get you home,” Merlin said cheerfully, moving to stand next to Elia. “The quicker we get there, the more lenient your mother is likely to be.” The twins didn’t answer, just trudged through the underbrush back towards the couple._

_“You’ve ruined another dress,” Elia said, glancing at Ariana’s soiled skirts. “Really should opt for breeches if you’re going to go on an adventure.”_

_“The ones I’ve got are too short now,” Ariana said as the four started back to the horses._

_“That’s no good. I’ll have to have more made for you,” Elia said. “You’ll need them for training.”_

_“If mother will let me keep training. She wouldn’t let me for two whole weeks the last time we got in trouble,” Ariana grumbled._

_“And who’s fault is that?” Elia asked._

_“Arturos,” Ariana said, glaring at her brother. Elia and Merlin chuckled._

_“Think it was both of you, if I recall correctly,” Merlin said. “Though… wasn’t it your idea in the first place?”_

_“We wouldn’t have been caught if it weren’t for Arturos,” Ariana retorted._

_“It was the honorable thing to do, to admit our wrongdoing rather than lie to mother,” Arturos said, holding his head up high._

_Soon, the tweens had launched into a full-fledged argument, shouting at each other. Elia glanced over at Merlin, as if to ask if he was absolutely sure he wanted to have children. He just laughed softly and shook his head._

_“Would either of you care to share why you were headed to The Willows,” Elia shouted over them, causing the two to quiet down. They both glanced at her sheepishly._

_“You wouldn’t take us,” Ariana said. “We wanted to see it for ourselves after all the stories you told.”_

_“I see… with no horses or provisions? It’s a few days’ ride from here,” Elia said. Arturos shot another glare towards Ariana, confirming Elia’s suspicions that the whole plot at been hers. While brave, the young girl could be a bit rash at times. “Besides, I told you… it’s not the same. Not anymore.”_

_“But you still go there with Uncle Merlin,” Ariana said._

_“Yes, because I was tasked with looking out for it. Keeping it safe until the other elves return,” Elia said._

_“But when will they come back?” Ariana pushed. Elia sighed._

_“I told you… we don’t know,” she replied._

_“Can’t we go with you next time?” Ariana whined. “We never get to go anywhere.” Elia looked down at the two, taking in their eager looks. They had been begging for years to go with her and Merlin. It was hard enough having to go back and see the once thriving kingdom fall into ruin. She wasn’t sure if she could keep a brave face in front of them._

_She finally sighed._

_“Perhaps if your mother agrees, we might take you next time,” she said, relenting slightly. The two’s faces lit up._

_“Now who’s being the pushover?” Merlin muttered. Elia elbowed him hard._

_“But I have conditions,” Elia said, turning her attention back to the twins. “First of all, no more running off. And you have to go to your lessons. All of your lessons.”_

_“Deal,” Ariana said quickly._

_“And, as I said, your mother has to agree,” Elia continued._

_“I’m sure she will if we’re going with you. You’re one of the bravest knights,” Arturos said. Elia chuckled._

_“I’m not a knight, Arturos,” she said. “I’m an elf.”_

_“Yes, and Uncle Merlin is the greatest sorcerer in the land,” Ariana said proudly. “And you’re not just an elf. You’re a queen, too.”_

_“I was a queen,” Elia amended._

_“Still a queen to us,” Arturos said. Elia smiled at the two._

_“Thank you,” she said softly. “Come on, you two. If we hurry, we might make it back in time for supper. I hear cook is making your favorite.” The two looked at each other and then started running towards the horses._

_“For what it’s worth, I think you’ll make a great mother some day,” Merlin said, once they were alone. Elia glanced over at him and then back at the twins, who were now clamoring up onto each of the horses._

_“Perhaps… someday…”_

~~~

“What are you thinking about?” Arthur asked. Merlin looked over at him and smiled.

“Just… one time when the twins ran off to try and go to The Willows. Gwen sent Elia and I after them. Didn’t take long to find them,” Merlin said. “Elia had a soft spot for them… even though she tried her hardest to be a taskmaster.” Arthur nodded slowly.

“What are you two doing?” Elia asked, striding into the sitting room. Merlin and Arthur looked over at her.

“Reminiscing about Ari and Arturos,” Merlin said. Elia chuckled as she leaned against the archway.

“I miss those two. Never a dull moment with them around. And thank the goddess Ari finally learned to stop and think before rushing into things,” she said. She looked over at Merlin. “Thought you were starting on lunch.” Merlin pushed off the sofa.

“Right, I’ll get to work on that,” he said.

“I’ll help,” Elia replied. “And… I was thinking… we’ve been cooped up here for some time. I’ve a good idea for an outing that might help Arthur learn a bit more of the history he’s missed.” Merlin stopped.

“What did you have in mind?”

~~~

“What is this place?” Arthur asked as they walked into a large compound near the river.

“Tower of London,” Elia said, grinning at him. “Thought it’d be a fun way for you to learn a bit about what happened after you died.” Arthur looked over at Merlin, who seemed amused. “Got us on a tour.”

“Elia loves the guided tours,” he said. “Though I think it’s mostly because she loves arguing with the yeomen.”

“I do not,” Elia retorted. Merlin just looked at her.

“Why are you arguing with anyone?” Arthur asked as they joined a large group of people.

“They have a rather colorful way of retelling history,” Merlin replied. “And sometimes they get some of the details a bit off.” He looked over at her. “You know it’s not their fault someone wrote it down wrong.”

“Still… they could at least try to get it right. Like poor Anne Boleyn, for instance,” she said.

“You knew Henry and his council weren’t going to tell the truth about that one,” Merlin said. “He was already planning to marry Jane.”

“Stupid fat, git,” Elia muttered. Merlin just chuckled as he shook his head.

“Lia, please. The tour’s about to start,” Merlin said. They all looked over as a man in a black and red uniform walked up and started shouting at the crowd. Arthur glanced down at Merlin and Elia as they cheered at the right times with the rest of the group, loudly calling out answers when the man in front of them shouted out questions. Elia had a bit of a smile on her face, though she would occasionally roll her eyes a bit here and there. She still seemed to be enjoying it - a bit more than she had let on earlier.

“Pay attention. You’ll learn a lot,” Merlin whispered at him, elbowing Arthur. He sighed and returned his attention back to the shouting man.

~~~

“He’s rather rude,” Arthur commented as they followed the crowd to the next spot on the tour. They were about halfway through. Elia just chuckled.

“That’s sort of the point,” she replied. “I like it. No nonsense and all.”

“You would,” Arthur retorted. “So my ancestors built all this?”

“Not really yours,” Merlin said. “The monarchy’s jumped from family to family a lot. Pendragon was just one in a long line of families. Currently it’s the Windsors.”

“Well then… I’m slightly relieved none of them were mine,” Arthur said. “Seems things got rather bloody after me.”

“So what were all those wars and battles? A walk among the flowers?” Elia asked, glancing at him.

“I certainly didn’t hang, draw or quarter anyone,” Arthur scoffed. “We only did hangings and burnings.”

“Ah, yes. Much more civilized means of execution,” Elia replied.

“And just what did the elves do with traitors?” Arthur asked.

“Exile,” she said quickly. Merlin raised an eyebrow at her. “And the occasional execution…”

“Which was?” Arthur asked, starting to smirk at her.

“Pierced through the heart by arrow,” she said snippily. “But, we rarely had traitors, so rarely had executions. Maybe two that I can think of.” Arthur chuckled. “Oh, stop it. Camelot ran red with blood under your father. You’ve no leg to stand on.”

“I wasn’t nearly as bad as him,” Arthur quickly retorted.

“Let’s play nicely, children. People are starting to stare,” Merlin said. Elia and Arthur glanced around, noticing that the few people around them were starting to listen into the conversation.

“Shut it. He’s about to start talking again,” Elia said.

~~~

Elia browsed through a brochure behind Merlin and Arthur as they slowly made their way through the large display of armour.

“So these were the kings that came after me?” Arthur asked, studying each of them intently.

“Rather long time after you,” Merlin said. “Granted I’m sure if they could get their hands on yours, it’d probably be here as well. Not sure if they’d label it as such.”

“Where is my armour?” Arthur asked.

“We’ve got your ceremonial armour at the country house,” Merlin said.

“Seems some things didn’t change so quickly,” Arthur commented. “This doesn’t look all that much different than what I wore.”

Elia then ran up in front of the two, stopping them. Arthur glared as he nearly walked into her.

“What is it?” he asked. She looked up at them, grinning.

“They’ve added something new, follow me,” she said brightly. Turning on her heels she strode off purposely, moving in and out of other tourists milling about.

“What is she talking about?” Arthur asked, looking over at Merlin. He just shrugged.

“We’ve seen this display so many times. She gets a bit excited whenever a new exhibition is added,” Merlin said. The two men started to follow her, nearly losing her for a bit. But then Merlin saw her standing in front of a display, peering up at it. “What have you found, Lia?”

She looked over at them and then back at the glass box containing the armour.

“What do you see, Arthur?” she asked. Arthur walked up behind her and looked up at it. It seemed just like any other set of armour in the hall. There was no name on it, but a small sign said that it was dated at roughly around the sixth century.

“Just another set of armour,” he replied. Elia turned and scowled at him.

“Look closer,” she said. Arthur sighed and stepped up closer, looking at it.

“It’s just-” he stopped. He furrowed his brow as he saw a small, distinctive chip in the right shoulder piece. “Is that… can’t be.”

“Seems someone managed to get their hands on one set of your armour,” she replied. Merlin peered closer, a smile starting to spread across his face. It was an older set. One that Arthur had stopped using by the time he became king, but he would recognize it anywhere having had to polish it so many times. He was surprised Elia had noticed it, though she had helped him pack many of it up, so just assumed she must have noticed then.

Arthur’s eyebrows rose as he then looked around at all the other suits of armour in the hall. He felt a bit of emotion overwhelm him at the thought that something of his was among all the other kings of this country, even if no one knew it.

“We’d take you to some of the sites and museums about you, but it’s mostly rubbish,” Elia said, pulling him out of his thoughts. He looked over at her. “So much time has past that all the records of everything have been lost. Except everything Merlin and I got our hands on.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Arthur replied, starting to walk away. “Probably more important that I learn what happened after me anyway.”

“True,” Elia said, starting to follow him. “Let’s go this way.” She grabbed his arm and started leading him off. Merlin rolled his eyes, knowing exactly where she was leading him.

“Lia… we do not need to go to the gift shop,” he called out, trying to catch up to him.

“But it’s fun!”

“No, it’s not!” Merlin replied.

“Perhaps Arthur wants a souvenir,” Elia said, grinning.

“I’m sure he doesn’t,” Merlin retorted.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Arthur said, scowling at Merlin.

“See?” Elia said, grinning.

“I do not want a souvenir,” Arthur said. Elia frowned up at him and then let go of his arm in a huff.

“Fine. Forgive me for wanting to commemorate your first visit to a museum,” she said.

“You’ve already taken about 100 photos and 30 videos,” Merlin said. She shot him a scowl.

“Needs to be recorded. For history. I’ve already got a title picked out for the slideshow I’m going to make… ‘Arthur’s First Trip to Tower of London,’” she said.

“Not particularly original,” Merlin said.

“What are you talking about?” Arthur asked, looking back and forth between them.

“I’ll show you when we get home…”


	7. Be Our Guest, Elizabeth

“This is what’s become of the marketplace?” Arthur asked the next day, looking around the grocery store in awe as he walked next to Merlin who was pushing a cart. Elia walked in front of them with a piece of paper in her hand, stopping every so often to take something off a shelf and put it in the cart.

“We still prefer the farmers’ market back in the village, but yea,” Merlin said, looking over at him. “Rather convenient. Everything you could need in one place. And you pay for it all at once at the end.”

“Still seems just as busy as the markets back in Camelot,” Arthur said, stepping out of the way to avoid running into a woman pushing a cart past while dragging a crying toddler behind her. Elia snorted. “Though it smells a lot better.”

“That it certainly does,” she replied as she stopped and looked over her list again and then started forward. They moved to the back of the store to a counter with a large amount of meat on display.

“How can you tell what any of this is?” Arthur asked, frowning as he bent over, studying it. He wasn’t used to seeing it already portioned out.

“It’s marked,” Elia replied, ringing a small metal bell. A man in an apron came up and she quickly gave him her order, then stepped back to wait. “Thought we could do steak on the grill tonight, since the weather’s rather nice. Not often we get a warm night without rain.”

“Sounds good,” Merlin replied, walking over to look at a seafood vendor. “Should we get some shellfish as well?”

“Yes, the big prawns!” Elia called out. Arthur took the moment to walk over to look at other displays.

“It’s you,” someone said from next to him. Arthur straightened up and turned, surprised to see the young woman from the other day - Elizabeth - staring at him with wide eyes.

“Ah… yes… Ehm… I’m sorry about the other day,” he said quickly, feeling his cheeks heat up. He hadn’t expected to see her again. Or so soon. “I was a bit… confused. And you really do look like… someone I used to know.” She shook her head slightly and offered a nervous smile.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I guess you live around here.”

“My fr-cousin does,” he said, pointing over to Elia, who quickly grabbed the white packages of meat from the butcher and tossed them into the cart before walking over to the two.

“Elizabeth, isn’t it? Good to see you again,” she said, offering her a friendly smile.

“Yea,” Elizabeth replied, though she kept glancing at Arthur, an odd look in her eyes. “How long have you lived here? I haven’t seen you around the neighborhood.”

“Ah, we’re in and out,” Elia said. “Had the townhouse for ages, but we spend most of our time traveling.”

“Got some salmon as well,” Merlin said, walking up to them, though he froze when he saw Elizabeth. “Elizabeth.”

“This is my husband, Mer- I mean, Leo,” Elia said. Arthur frowned, still not sure why Elia insisted on introducing him as such. He remembered her calling herself by another name with her neighbor before they left the country house.

“Nice to meet you again, Leo,” Elizabeth said, nodding towards him.

“Have you lived around here long as well?” Elia asked.

“About four years or so,” Elizabeth replied. “Got a flat over on Hillshire Street.”

“Lovely area,” Elia said.

“Suppose so,” Elizabeth replied. “It was the only thing I could afford over in this part. But… just fell in love with the neighborhood and had to live here.”

“Same with us,” Merlin said, smiling. “Falling in love with the neighborhood, that is. Great for young couples.” Elia elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to grimace as Elizabeth watched on curiously. Arthur’s cheeks started turning slightly pink as he looked to the ground.

“Yea, suppose. Though it’s just me and my cat,” Elizabeth said. Arthur looked up, his eyes slightly wide.

“Thought about getting a cat, though we’re in and out too much,” Elia said, hoping to recover from Merlin’s snooping. Though she couldn’t help but smile in Arthur’s direction. She could tell that he was already a bit smitten with her.

“I see,” Elizabeth said, a bit unsure of where to go with the conversation from there.

She then looked up at Arthur again as he opened and closed his mouth a few times, seeming to have lost the ability to speak.

“Well… I guess, ehm, just wanted to say hi. See if you were doing better,” she said, staring at him oddly.

“Yes, thank you. I am feeling much better,” Arthur finally said. Elizabeth nodded.

“Good to see you - all of you - again,” she said, starting to turn away.

“Would you perhaps be free tonight?” Arthur said suddenly, causing Elizabeth to stop and look at him as Elia and Merlin stared at him in shock. “I mean… for supper?” Elizabeth blushed slightly, not expecting the question.

“I… yea, I’m free,” she said, seeming to surprise herself with the answer.

“Then, perhaps you might care to join us for dinner,” Arthur said. Elia’s mouth dropped open as Merlin couldn’t help but grin. Elizabeth considered the invitation for a few moments before smiling and shrugging.

“Ehm, yea, sure. Why not?” she replied. She walked back up to him, pulling a piece of paper and pen out of her purse and scribbling something down on it. She then handed it to Arthur. “That’s my number. Just, ehm, text me the time and address.”

“I will,” Arthur said, staring down at the numbers and her name - Elizabeth Baxter.

“Come by around 7,” Elia said, finally finding her voice. Elizabeth nodded and smiled.

“See you then,” she said, waving slightly as she turned and walked away, though she continued to glance over her shoulder at the three.

“Less than a week back and he’s already got a date. I’m impressed,” Elia said once Elizabeth was out of earshot as she looked over at Arthur in awe. He looked over at Merlin and Elia then back at the paper, his brow furrowed.

“I’ll text her,” Merlin said, holding his hand out.

“I have no idea what that is,” Arthur replied, handing it over to him.

“Think of it as… instant raven,” Elia said, grinning as they walked back to the cart. She chuckled at her own joke, though Merlin just sighed.

“Not that funny,” he said.

“It is a bit funny,” Elia said. “Better than your puns.”

“My puns are good,” Merlin replied, slightly offended.

“What are you two blathering on about?” Arthur asked.

“Nothing,” Elia sang as she moved ahead of the two. “Hurry up, boys. We’ve got a lot to do before the fair Elizabeth graces us with her presence…”

~~~

“MERLIN!”

Merlin glanced up towards the ceiling of the kitchen, pausing in his dinner preparations.

“Better go see what he wants,” Elia said with a sign as she took a sip of wine while continuing to saute mushrooms with her free hand.

“If he asks me to show him how to use the shower one more time,” Merlin grumbled as he wiped his hands and started towards the corridor.

“Nah, heard that going some time ago. Probably needs help dressing,” Elia replied, her eyes still on her work. Merlin didn’t respond, just sighed and kept walking towards the stairs. He then jogged up to the third floor, making his way to the guest room where Arthur was set up. The king was standing in the middle of the room, wearing only his underpants, as he stared at variety of trousers and shirts laid out on the bed.

“I… what is most acceptable for a formal dinner?” Arthur asked, looking over at Merlin, his tone slightly desperate. Merlin walked over to look at the selection, finding a mess of a mix. There were t-shirts, pajama pants, denims, shorts and such all laid out. While Arthur seemed to have picked up day-to-day wear, Merlin couldn’t blame him for being a bit lost as to what to wear on a could-be date with the possible reincarnation of his dead wife.

Especially when he had no clue as to what fashion was today.

“Ehm… not a bad start, but…” he walked over to the closet and looked in at the various clothes hanging there. He quickly scanned them and then pulled out a navy blue button-up and a pair of grey trousers. He turned and handed them to Arthur before moving to the dresser and digging through it before pulling out a white undershirt and tossing it at him as well. “That should do.”

He then walked back to the closet and bent down, picking up a pair of shoes and then handing them to Arthur as well. Arthur looked down at the clothing and then back up at Merlin.

“I’m not dressing you,” Merlin replied immediately.

“Is this what one wears to dinner?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, you’ll look dashing for your fair lady,” Merlin replied, his lips tugging up into a smile. He turned and started back out the door before stopping and looking over at Arthur, tilting his head to the side. “Though… think we should do something about your hair.”

“What’s wrong with my hair?” Arthur asked, a bit put out.

“It’s fine, but… now that I look at it, a bit too long for today’s fashion. Get dressed. I’ll send Elia up in a bit. She cuts mine,” Merlin said before turning and starting back downstairs. Arthur looked down at the clothes and then over at a standing mirror. He walked over to it, staring at his reflection.

“There’s nothing wrong with my hair…”

~~~

“May I present, the new - and improved - Arthur,” Elia said proudly as she stepped out onto the patio where Merlin was stationed in front of the grill. She stepped aside and let Arthur walk out. His hair was cut much shorter on the sides, though the top was still a bit longer. She had it styled expertly. He couldn’t help but run his hand over the side self-consciously as Merlin whistled. His cheeks promptly started turning slightly pink.

“Honestly, you don’t look a day over 500,” Merlin quipped.

“It… are you sure it looks alright?” Arthur asked, glancing down at his outfit.

“You look amazing,” Elia said, walking over and fixing the collar of his shirt. “Elizabeth will find you dashing.” At that moment, the doorbell rang. “Speaking of which…” She winked at Arthur and then walked back inside, making her way to the front door.

She pulled it open, finding the woman in question standing there in a black strapless summer dress with a cream cardigan. She was holding a bottle of wine and looking around at the rose bushes that lined the front of the house. Upon hearing the door open, she turned to smile a Elia.

“Hello!” Elia said, stepping back to let her in. “Trust you didn’t have any trouble finding it.”

“No,” Elizabeth said, taking in the large foyer. “This is… some place.”

“Thank you,” Elia said, closing the door. “We’re all in the back.” She then led Elizabeth through the house, noticing the young woman studying everything. “Here we are…”

Arthur immediately jumped to his feet from the chair he had been sitting in as they walked out. He started to bow, but stopped, unsure of how to act.

“The steaks are almost finished, but have a seat,” Elia said, taking the wine from Elizabeth and walking it over to another small table where there were other bottles. “Would you like red or white?”

“Red, please,” Elizabeth said, looking over at her a moment before looking back at Arthur.

“You look lovely,” he said, stepping up to her and taking her hand, leading it up to his lips while never taking his eyes off her face. She blushed slightly.

“Thank you,” she said, slightly flustered. He then led her over to the table, pulling out a chair for her. Elizabeth looked a bit impressed as she sat down. “This looks amazing.” She took in the large spread on the table.

“Thanks. We enjoy cooking but it’s not often we get to host a dinner party,” Elia said, walking back over to the table and putting a glass of wine in front of her. She then sat down at the table across from her as Arthur moved to sit next to her. “Been meaning to get to know the neighbors a bit more, but we’re in and out so much...”

“Just what is it that keeps you out so much? Work?” Elizabeth asked, looking over at Elia.

“Ehm… we just love traveling,” Elia said. “Though we spend a lot of time out at our country house.” Elizabeth’s eyes widened slightly. “Been hosting Arthur there. Help him recoup and all. Though we all were getting a bit stir-crazy and decided to come down to the city for a bit. Arthur doesn’t spend that much time here.”

“Really? London is lovely. Can’t imagine living anywhere else. Where are you from?” Elizabeth asked, looking over at Arthur. He choked slightly on his wine.

“I’m, ehm, I’m…”

“Sussex. Originally. But he’s been away for work for a long time,” Elia intervened. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow in her direction as Arthur took another large gulp of wine. “America.” Arthur’s eyes widened at that. He knew nothing about America - or this England for that matter - so he wasn’t sure why she’d say such a thing. He hope Elizabeth didn’t know anything about it either.

“I’ve always wanted to go. Never had the time, or money, with work,” Elizabeth said. “Where were you?” Arthur started to open his mouth, though stopped from speaking, not sure what to say.

“Boston,” Merlin said from the grill. “He, ehm, works in investment. Like me.” Elia rolled her eyes and dropped her head against the palm of her hand, thankful that Elizabeth was looking towards Merlin and didn’t see. They really should have worked on a cover story for Arthur before Elizabeth arrived. This was going to turn into a disaster rather quickly.

“I’ve always been rather shite at that. Any advice?” Elizabeth asked, turning her attention back to Arthur.

“I, ehm…”

“Not sure I’d take any advice from him right now. Still a bit off from the surgery,” Merlin said with a chuckle. Both Elia and Arthur shot him a glare at that.

“Fair enough,” Elizabeth said, smiling at him.

“So… Elizabeth, what is it you do?” Elia asked, standing and walking over to grab the bottle of wine and bring it over to the table. She felt they were going need it to get through this conversation and would rather have it in grabbing distance.

“PR,” Elizabeth said. “I do mostly event planning.”

“Sounds fun,” Elia said, glancing at Arthur, who had gone mute and was now nearly through his glass. She walked over and filled it up. “Not an easy job, I take it.”

“Keeps me busy. But I enjoy it,” Elizabeth said. “Nothing like stepping back and watching everyone enjoying a good event.” She looked over at Arthur.

“What sort of events do you do?” Merlin asked.

“Bit of everything. Charity galas, launch events. Mostly parties and the like,” Elizabeth said. “Got one coming up this weekend. Book launch event for this new Gatsy-ish noir novel. Been killing myself to get it ready. Probably shouldn’t have come tonight since there’s still a large amount of work to be done, but I needed a bit of a break.” Elia looked over at Merlin, her face lighting up as he sighed and shook his head.

As soon as he heard the word Gatsby, he knew what she was going to do. Try and score some tickets.

“I love that time era,” Elia said. “The fashion. The music. It’s all brilliant.”

“That so?” Elizabeth asked.

“Lia… mind help me with something in the kitchen?” Merlin asked suddenly. Elia looked over at him, frowning slightly.

“But the steaks…”

“Will be fine,” Merlin said, already walking towards the house.

“Excuse me,” Elia said with a smile, following him.

“Would you stop and let him talk,” Merlin hissed as soon as they were inside. “And no, we’re not going to the party.”

“But it would be a good chance for the two to get to know each other more,” Elia whined slightly. Merlin rolled his eyes.

“No, you only want to go so you can drag out all your old dresses,” he said, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms in front of him.

“Do not,” she replied.

“Do too,” Merlin said.

“But… we really should be trying to get to know her more,” Elia said. “Just to see if she is possibly Gwen.”

“I thought you believed her Arthur’s great-something granddaughter,” he retorted.

“Well… I’m thinking perhaps there could be something about the reincarnation bit,” Elia replied. “I mean, we don’t know for sure one way or another. But now that I’ve got her full name, I can do a bit of research…”

Merlin just sighed and rolled his eyes.

“For now, let’s just… focus on getting to know her and save the pushing bit for when we find out if they’re related or not,” he said.

“Fine.”

~~~

“Did you cut your hair?” Elizabeth asked, searching for something to say to the man. They had sat in slightly awkward silence for a few moments after the couple had left.

“Ehm… yea. Well, Elia did. She thought it too long,” he said, running his hand over it self-consciously and stopping himself before adding “for this time period.”

“I liked it long,” Elizabeth said. Arthur glanced over him as she blushed slightly. “I mean, it looks really good now as well.”

“Thanks,” Arthur said, reaching for his glass and taking a large sip. He took the moment to rack his brain for something - anything - to say or ask her. He couldn’t get over the fact that she looked so similar to Guinevere. But yet, at the same time, she seemed so different. “Ehm, so… your family live around here?”

“Yea, well, not here. But in London. I was born and raised here,” she said. “My parents live here as well as my brother.” His eyes widened.

“Brother?” he asked.

“Yea… twin brother. He lives about 30 minutes away with his wife and daughter,” she replied. Arthur nodded slightly. Elyan and Guinevere weren’t twins. But he had had twins with Gwen - a boy and a girl. Perhaps this was a sign that she was his descendent.

“And… what’s… he do?” he asked, remembering what Elia had asked earlier.

“He’s a detective sergeant. With the CID,” she replied, reaching for her wine glass.

“That’s… interesting,” Arthur said, having absolutely no clue what she was talking about. He glanced towards the open patio door, wishing that Elia and Merlin would quickly return.

“Yea, he’s always wanted to be a detective. Used to read a lot of crime novels when we were younger. Forced me to play cops and robbers a lot as children,” she said, glancing at him. “What about you? Your family?”

“Ehm… deceased,” Arthur said. “My mother died when I was born. Lost my father and sister as well.” He glanced at Elizabeth, immediately regretting sharing so much when he saw her shocked look. At least he stopped himself before he said anything about Gwen.

“I’m… so sorry,” she said. “That must be… hard.”

“It was,” he replied quickly, reaching for his glass again. The night was not going as he had hoped and he was well on his way to getting tipsy. They hadn’t even started eating yet.

“Think the steaks should be ready,” Merlin said cheerfully as he and Elia walked back out.

“Good!” Arthur said, plastering a smile on his face as he sat up in his chair while Elia returned to her seat.

“So, this party this weekend,” Elia started, ignoring the look Merlin sent her from the grill. “Are there tickets still available?”


	8. Let's Get Down to Business

“What was that?” Merlin shouted as he stormed into the kitchen after seeing Elizabeth out. While there had been no large embarrassments, there had been several more awkward moments and near misses during the rest of the dinner. They would need to come up with Arthur’s backstory and get him to commit it to memory before he saw Elizabeth again, that’s for sure.

Elia and Arthur were already hard at work at the dishes, with Arthur placing a stack next to the sink as Elia methodically rinsed them off and then loaded them into the dishwasher. She had been bringing dishes in throughout the dinner, so there wasn’t much left to bring in from the patio.

“Just thought Arthur deserved a bit of fun,” she replied, her focus still on the work before her. “And it’s another chance to see Elizabeth again.”

“But we don’t know who she is!” Merlin shouted. “Not to mention, we now have to give him a crash course in investment!”

“That’s not my fault,” Elia replied, scowling at him over her shoulder. Merlin sighed and shook his head. “I would have stuck with something easier… like construction.”

“He’d never work in construction,” Merlin scoffed.

“Arthur’s never worked in anything save being a king, which I’m not sure would be applicable at this moment,” Elia replied. “It’s the 21st century, he might as well work at anything.”

“Christ, now we have to prep him before the party…”

“Relax, it’ll be fun. And you know that I’ll find out everything we need to about her before then,” Elia said lightly. “We’ll have a better idea of whether she’s a descendent or reincarnation. Got enough to get started from tonight.”

“Don’t be coy, Lia. This is just so you can relive your 20s glory days,” Merlin said.

“Is not. That’s preposterous,” Elia said.

“Lia…”

“Seriously, Merlin. Relax! It’s been ages since we’ve been to a decent party,” she said, chuckling.

“We could be facing the likely end of the world, and you want to go to a party?!” Merlin shouted. Elia stopped washing and stomped over to him.

“I’m not taking this lightly! It’s research!”

“Research my bloody ass!”

“And what would you know about it?! You think everything worth knowing is in some old book!”

“I do not!”

“Will you both stop!” Arthur shouted, causing the two of them to turn and look at him, eyes wide. “This is ridiculous!” Elia looked to the ground as Merlin ran his fingers through his hair. “We will get nowhere if you two stand there and spend all your time arguing!” There was silence in the room a few moments as Elia and Merlin glanced at each other, slightly embarrassed. “Now, I think we’re all in agreement that we need to find out more about Elizabeth.” Elia and Merlin nodded. “What sort of information do you need to do that?”

“Well, I have her full name. Know her job and such. Should be enough to get started,” Elia said.

“If it helps… she has a twin brother. Works at something called… CD-something,” Arthur said.

“CID,” Elia and Merlin said at the same time.

“That, I suppose. If that helps,” he replied with a sigh. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll retire…”

He then strode out of the kitchen, leaving a sheepish Elia and Merlin in his wake.

“Suppose we could have handled that better,” Elia said, looking up at him. “Neither of us even asked him how he was feeling about all of this.”

“We should have,” Merlin said. “I’ll speak with him tomorrow. I think he just wants to be alone for now.” Elia nodded. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him lightly on the lips.

“I’m sorry… I honestly thought it could be a good chance for Arthur and Elizabeth to see each other again. Though, I suppose part of it was for my own selfish reasons,” she said. Merlin smiled down at her.

“It’s fine,” he replied. He glanced over at the sink. “Need some help?”

“Could use it,” Elia said, smiling. Merlin raised his hand and his eyes flashed. The dishes started doing themselves as he led her outside.

“Think there’s a bit more wine left… We can put the leftovers up in a bit.”

~~~

Arthur sat on the edge of his bed after changing into his pajamas and stared at the floor. He thought over everything that had happened at dinner and couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed. He hadn’t known what to do or say to Elizabeth. Though he hadn’t meant to mention anything about his family. Making up cover stories seemed to come so easily to Merlin and Elia, though he supposed that was because they had a couple lifetimes’ worth of doing it, while he had none.

And now he had to memorize whatever story the two concocted for him.

He didn’t like the idea of lying to Elizabeth, though he understood why it was necessary. It’s not like he could walk up to her and declare that she was either his great five or six times over granddaughter, or possibly his dead wife reborn. That would not go over well in today’s age from what he could tell in his short time there.

Rather than pitying him, Elizabeth would think him mad. He wasn’t particularly thrilled with either option. Sighing he stood and walked towards the window, looking down into the back garden. He could make out Elia and Merlin sitting there, laughing with wine glasses in hand. Frowning, he looked away, drawing his attention towards the flowers and plants that decorated the area.

He couldn’t help but feel the familiar pain in his chest as his thoughts turned to Gwen. And that he didn’t think Elizabeth was much like Gwen other than her appearance. Every so often, he thought he got a glimpse of her, but just as quickly, it would disappear.

It was confusing to say the least.

He then turned away from the window and walked back to the bed, crawling into it. Once he was settled, he reached for the journal that sat on the bedside table and opened it, picking up where he had left off earlier.

If he couldn’t be with Gwen, then he could at least be with her words.

~~~

“ _I love you… I’ve never cared for anyone like this before..._ ”

There was darkness. Only darkness and that voice. One that she was at the same time familiar and unfamiliar with. And warmth. A warmth that only came from being completely and utterly in love with someone.

_“Marry me…”_

Suddenly, there were flashes of images. A crown. Then another of a red dress, swishing around her as she walked down a hall. Then the only thing in her vision was that of blue eyes and blonde hair. A face that she knew but at the same time didn’t.

_“I will always love you…”_

Elizabeth shot up in bed as she breathed heavily and looked around the darkened bedroom. After a few moments, she reached over and turned on the bedside lamp. She threw her legs over the side of her bed and leaned over, rubbing her face.

It was the third night in a row she had had the dreams. Normally she wouldn’t think anything about it - she was no stranger to crushes making appearances in her mind while she slept. But this was different. The dreams were so vivid. Almost as though they were memories. And all of them were about the strange man, Arthur. Elia and Leo made appearances here and there - though Elia’s hair was longer, her ears shaped oddly. They were all dressed strangely, as though they were at some sort of Renaissance faire. Perhaps it was because of the movie she had watched the other day. The one set back in medieval times. That had to be it.

“Christ, this party is making you lose it,” she muttered to herself as she pushed off the bed and started for the kitchen. She knew she wouldn’t get back to sleep until she had a cup of tea to calm her mind and her nerves. And she really needed some sleep. The next few days would have her working non-stop until the party. Her team leader was a tyrant, working the staff to the bone. But it always paid off in the end with each successful event. And Elizabeth needed to stay on the woman’s good side if she wanted to advance in the company.

Though she couldn’t help but get a small thrill at the idea that Arthur would be coming.

Despite the dinner being more awkward than she was used to, she wanted to see him again. Arthur had been mostly silent throughout it, letting Elia and Leo do most of the talking. They were certainly entertaining. But Elizabeth felt her heart go out to the handsome blonde man after he had shared about his family. She could imagine how hard it was for him, losing your entire family. She couldn’t even imagine life without her parents and brother.

And for some reason, she found herself still drawn to him. There was something about him. Something in his eyes. It was as though he was much older than he really was - he hadn’t offered his age, but she assumed he wasn’t much older than her. But he had seen a lot in his relatively young life. It was probably because of the tragic loss of his family.

Sighing, Elizabeth poured the hot water over the tea bag and walked into the living room, setting it down on the coffee table to cool as she reached for the remote and turned on the TV. At least she could hopefully fall asleep to the sounds of whatever boring late-night show was on.

~~~

The next morning, Merlin walked into the kitchen and poured himself some coffee. He had left Elia asleep, though she muttered something about getting up soon to start work in the study. Arthur hadn’t been in his room, so he was surprised not to seem him anywhere around the lower floors. He then looked over, seeing the door to the patio open.

Once he had his coffee, he walked over, pausing in the doorframe to watch as Arthur sat at the patio table in his pajamas looking around.

“Sleep well?” Merlin asked, walking out. Arthur turned to look at him. His hair was going every which way and there were bags starting to appear under his eyes. “I’ll take that as a no…”

Arthur sighed and rubbed his face as Merlin walked over and sat across from him.

“I just… I find that I cannot stop thinking about her,” he replied, glancing over at Merlin. “Who she is? What her life is like? I feel… some sort of responsibility to look after her.”

“That’s understandable. She’s either your great-however-many granddaughter or…”

“The reincarnation of my dead wife,” Arthur finished. Merlin nodded as he took a sip of his coffee. Arthur reverted to silence, though it was obvious from his face that there was a lot going on in his mind.

“You want to talk about it?” Merlin asked cautiously. Arthur remained silent. “You know that Elia and I… we’ll figure this out.”

“I know,” Arthur said, his speech clipped. “But… I am not sure what I’m meant to do with this.”

“If she’s Gwen, then perhaps it’s a chance to start over,” Merlin said. “And if she’s related to you, then… it could be a chance to get to know the family that you left behind…” Arthur nodded slowly.

“She’s really… nothing like Gwen,” he said finally. “I mean, sometimes I think she could be… she smiles the same. Laughs the same. I can see some of Gwen’s mannerisms in her as well. But… the way she talks and such… they are two completely different people.”

“Or, this could just be how Gwen would be if she was in the 21st century,” Merlin replied. “Gwen could have been a completely different person if she lived nowadays.”

“You and Elia are the same,” Arthur said, looking over at him.

“We are, but we aren’t,” Merlin said. “We’ve… adapted.”

“True… it’s not like Elia to be so closed off from the outside world,” Arthur said.

“A lot of that is necessary. But she still manages to make friends here and there. Still enjoys a good party, though we don’t get out as much as we used to,” he said. “Suppose we’re just getting tired in our old age.” Merlin cracked a smile as he looked over at Arthur, who was starting to smile as well.

“Still difficult to wrap my head around just how much time as passed,” Arthur said. “I could barely think farther ahead than a decade or so… and now it’s been over a thousand years…”

“Gets a bit easier with time,” Merlin said. “That’s what Elia told me in the beginning. Figured she would know more about that sort of thing...”

“And was she right?” Arthur asked.

“She was. We found a number of ways to help. Hobbies, work, helping others when we could,” Merlin said. “There was always something to focus on.” Arthur nodded. “And we certainly have enough to focus on now.”

“Figuring out what’s coming,” Arthur added.

“Say that’s enough to keep us focused,” Merlin said. Arthur nodded again. “But in the meantime, we should get started on teaching you some things. Before the party.” Arthur raised an eyebrow at him. Merlin stood and started going back in the house. “What are you sitting there for? Come on.”

Arthur sighed and stood, slowly following Merlin in. He wasn’t sure what this little lesson would entail, but he was sure he wasn’t going to enjoy it.

~~~

Elia sighed as she sat back at the desk in the study and reached for her coffee mug. She stopped as it was about to hit her lips, noticing that it was empty. She put it back down and returned her attention to the laptop screen. In just a few hours, she had found out loads about Elizabeth Baxter and her family.

Her picture was up on the PR company’s website and she was active on social media, often posting about work. Seemed she was a very busy woman but enjoyed what she did. She did have a cat. And a fair number of friends that she managed to keep up with despite her heavy work schedule

Her brother was with the CID. A low rank but seemed to have a promising career path. He also looked nothing like Elyan, which Elia took as a sign that perhaps she wasn’t a descendent. Or maybe not. She wasn’t sure. She had just started doing the genealogy study on the Baxter family and hadn’t gotten far. It was slow, tedious work, even with all the resources the internet offered nowadays.

“MERLIN!”

Elia jumped slightly, looking towards the open door. Arthur and Merlin had been at it all day, working on getting a credible yet easy to remember story for Arthur ready before the party. She had to admit that they really should have done so before the dinner party last night, but in the excitement of having Elizabeth over, it slipped their minds.

Seemed the lesson wasn’t going so well.

She chuckled to herself as she stood and made her way out of the study and downstairs with her mug. She figured that she’d pop in on them while going down to get more coffee.

Elia stopped and looked around the dining room. Arthur was pacing while glaring at Merlin, who had put his head down on his arms on the table.

“What’s going on here?” she asked, starting to smile slightly.

“This is impossible!” Arthur shouted as he stopped and pointed at the laptop. “I’ll never understand any of this!”

“Investment is a tricky thing. Took us awhile to figure it out as well,” she said, leaning against the archway.

“I was trying to teach him about America,” Merlin said, lifting his head up to look at Elia. “Gave up on investment a while ago.” Elia turned to look at Arthur, her eyebrows raised. “Bit difficult since he doesn’t know a lot of the history before that…”

She couldn’t help but chuckle and shake her head.

“This isn’t funny, Elia,” Merlin moaned.

“I know,” she replied. She pushed off the wall and then walked over to Arthur, grabbing his arm and leading him to the den.

“What are you doing?” Merlin shouted.

“Going to get him started on a documentary. Then you can help me in the study. Think you two need a break from each other,” she called out.

“I highly doubt watching the television is going to help me,” Arthur replied.

“You seemed to remember a lot of what you’ve watched before,” Elia said, glancing at him. “Come on then…”

~~~

Merlin sat at the desk, poring over everything Elia had found so far. It was a lot, for sure, but didn’t shine much light on Elizabeth’s ancestry. The elf was now at the bookshelf, meticulously searching through the hundreds of books and titles, taking a moment to pick up her search for Faeranduil’s missing journals. If it turned out that Elizabeth was a reincarnation, she wanted to know everything they could about it before they discussed it with her.

“This is a good start,” Merlin said, looking over at her.

“Still need more,” Elia said, not looking at him.

“You’ve only been at it a few hours. Sure you’ll have more by the end of the day,” he said.

“I hope to… but still need to find those damn journals,” she replied, her eyes still focused on the titles as she ran her slender fingers over them. Most of them were old and worn

“I told you, they’re here somewhere. Or at the country house. We’ll find them,” Merlin said, looking over at her. Elia sighed and turned around, leaning against the bookshelf.

“I know, I just wish I had them now,” she whined. Merlin chuckled as he stood from the desk and walked over to her.

“Stop. Take a deep breath,” he said as he cupped her cheeks. “We don’t have to figure this all out right this minute.”

“But for Arthur’s sake, we do need to figure it out soon,” she said, her brow furrowed. “Not to mention, we still need to figure out what all of this means.”

“And we will. But no reason to get yourself all worked up,” he said gently. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Elia sighed and nodded.

“I know,” she replied, smiling slightly. “How long do you think Arthur will be preoccupied with the documentary?”

“Not long, I reckon,” he replied, looking towards the open door. “Why?”

“Thought you could help me out a bit with the search into Elizabeth,” she said. Merlin nodded.

“Let’s get to work, shall we…”


	9. I Wan'na Be Like Gatsby

Elia glanced at the time on her phone casually, then returned her attention to applying her lipstick in the bathroom mirror. It seemed that for once, she was going to be ready on time. Merlin would likely fall over as she made her way down the stairs before he called out for her. She couldn’t help but smile to herself at the image.

For the last few days she had been hard at work with the search for Elizabeth’s ancestry. She had given in and contacted a genealogist a couple days before, giving her all the information she had. The woman wasn’t expected to get back to her until tomorrow, so the party was a much-needed distraction. Though she had wished she had the information before they went, just to help out Arthur.

He had finally progressed in his studies with Merlin and seemed to have the backstory down. At the very least, he would be able to talk a bit more tonight should he get the chance.

“Tonight is going to be fun,” she sang to herself in the mirror. She turned away for a moment, grabbing her powder, when her phone chirped. She turned back, picking it up. It was an email. Still humming to herself, she navigated to her email. Her eyes widened as she saw the subject line.

Instantly, she was out of the bathroom, running through the bedroom and down the stairs to the study on the second floor. She could hear the murmurs of Merlin and Arthur talking on the first floor as she slid into the chair and pulled up the email on the laptop. Deftly she opened up the attachment and started skimming through it, holding her breath.

Her eyes widened as a grin spread across her face.

“Finally…”

~~~

“Lia! We’re going to be late!” Merlin shouted from the front foyer where he and Arthur were standing in their suits. While Merlin was more than comfortable in his, Arthur kept fidgeting and moving, attempting to get himself situated. It was tighter than what he was used to, though much lighter than armor at least.

Elia and Merlin had dragged him out shopping the other day when they found that none of Merlin’s old suits would fit him, which shouldn’t have come as a surprise. The two had held onto a number of their clothing from the years passed, mostly for fancy dress parties, according to Elia. Though Merlin had then whispered to Arthur that it was mostly because she couldn’t stand to give up any of her pretty dresses. She still had a number of her elven gowns as well.

But they got him situated for the party and were now waiting on Elia, who said she was putting on the finishing touches about an hour ago.

“Blasted Lia,” Merlin muttered. “Always taking her own sweet time…”

“I see what you meant about some things not changing,” Arthur remarked, looking over at him. Merlin just rolled his eyes.

“Coming!” Elia called out as they heard light, quick footsteps on the stairs. Both men looked up as she quickly tumbled down the last set, her face lit up. She was in a long, shimmery dress of white and gold, her hair pulled back in curls with a matching headband. She grasped a couple sheets of paper in her hand as she grinned up at the two men.

“What is it?” Merlin asked as she held them out.

“That genealogist finally got back to me,” she said, practically bouncing on her toes. “That’s the report.” Arthur stepped to Merlin’s side, looking over his shoulder at the names and lines and such, frowning slightly. Merlin’s eyes widened as he looked over at Arthur.

“What does it mean?” Arthur asked, still studying the sheet.

“She’s not related to you,” Merlin said, starting to grin. Arthur looked up at him and over at Elia.

“This means she’s Gwen!” she practically shouted. “At least, I think it does…”

“How do we know that?” Arthur asked.

“If she’s not related, she has to be Gwen! It’s the only reason why she looks so much like her,” Elia continued.

“But she acts nothing like her,” Arthur countered.

“Probably just the times,” Elia said casually as she walked over to a coat closet and pulled out a white fur-trimmed coat and pulled it on. “Thought we were going to be late?”

“The car’s waiting outside,” Merlin said.

“But… we…” Arthur stuttered.

“Come on, don’t you want to see Elizabeth?” Elia said, grinning at him as she grabbed a purse off the side table and started towards the door. Merlin looked over at Arthur, who was standing there slightly shocked.

“Should get going,” he said. Arthur nodded, momentarily mute.

He wasn’t sure what to think.

~~~

Arthur’s eyes widened as he looked up and around, stunned by the opulence of the place and the sheer amount of people there. It was noisy with brash music blaring. Everyone was dressed similarly to Elia and Merlin. He just followed along, looking around as they were led to a table near the dance floor and sat.

“I thought you said you only got tickets,” Merlin said, looking over at Elia with an amused expression.

“Figured if we were going out, we should really go out,” Elia said lightly as she sat and grabbed a glass of champagne off a passing server’s tray. Merlin scowled at her as he sat down next to her. “What? It’s going to take a bit for the bottle service to arrive.”

“You two went to parties like this a lot?” Arthur asked, finally speaking.

“Too much,” Merlin grumbled.

“You liked them,” Elia shot back.

“Just don’t make me dance,” Merlin retorted. Elia only chuckled as she looked around the room. Arthur felt overwhelmed and far out of his comfort zone, but he couldn’t help as his eyes searched around for Elizabeth. He was still reeling from the news and was unsure about what he would say to her when he saw her, but he couldn’t help that his heart started racing at the mere thought of her.

“Ah, looks as though we get a signed copy of this book with the table,” Elia said, looking over a card on the table.

“Lovely. More books,” Merlin replied. “Are you going to actually read this one?”

“Likely. Though if it’s rubbish I likely won’t fini- Ah! Elizabeth!”

Arthur whipped his head over to see Elia standing up and turning to face someone that was out of his sight. He also stood, looking in the same direction. His eyes widened as he finally saw Elizabeth approach, wearing a dress of dark lavender with gold embroidery that hit her just below the knee. Her hair was up in curls with a similar looking headband as Elia’s.

“You made it! Have they sent out your bottle service yet?” Elizabeth asked and Elia stepped towards her and kissed her on the cheek.

“Not yet, but sure it’s on its way,” Elia said lightly. “Love the dress.” Elizabeth smiled at her.

“Thanks, though… wow. Is that vintage?” she asked, studying Elia’s dress closely. The redhead just shrugged.

“Oh, I had this old thing at the back of my closet and pulled it out,” she said, laughing. Elizabeth then looked over, her cheeks starting to turn slightly pink as she saw Arthur. He walked over to her and bowed slightly, taking her hand and kissing it.

“You look… amazing,” he said, his eyes never leaving her face.

“Th-thank you,” she stuttered. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Elia start to grin. Elizabeth cleared her throat and took her hand back. “I’ve got some work to do, but please, enjoy the party. I’ll stop by again when I get a chance.” She then smiled and walked away.

“Ah! The alcohol is here,” Elia exclaimed. She moved to sit down again, though Arthur stay rooted in his spot, looking off where Elizabeth disappeared in the crowd. “Arthur! Sit! She’s not going to magically reappear with you standing there like an idiot!” Arthur shook his head and moved to sit on the other side of Merlin again.

A couple of servers placed bottles, ice buckets and glasses on the table, along with a few plates of horderves.

“What’s all this?” Arthur asked, taking in the amount.

“This is fun,” Elia said brightly. Arthur looked over at Merlin, his eyebrows raised.

“Just go with it…”

~~~

“Liz! Are you paying attention!”

Elizabeth whipped her head over, looking at her co-worker with wide eyes. She found herself gazing towards Arthur all night, managing to find him no matter where she was.

“Yes, sorry. Check table 12 and 14. Got it,” she said, looking down at her smartphone and typing in the instructions.

“And make sure that Niall’s table is taken care of. Heaven forbid the man of the night runs out of liquor,” the woman said, rolling her eyes. “We’ve got another 45 minutes before the dancers perform, so I’ll go check on them. But after that, I think we can stand to enjoy ourselves for a bit.”

Elizabeth nodded, sneaking another glance towards the table where, Elia, Leo and Arthur were sitting.

“What is the story with that bloke?” her co-worker asked. Elizabeth looked up at her, feeling herself begin to blush again.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said quickly. Her co-worker laughed, tossing her head back.

“It’s a last-minute reservation on your part and you’ve been staring at him all night,” she replied. “You fancy him or something?”

“No! I mean, I don’t know,” Elizabeth groaned, dropping her arms to her side. “I, well, it’s a weird story. I sorta ran into them when I was out the other day. And then again at the market a couple days later. They invited me over for dinner.” Her co-worker’s eyes widened.

“He’s fit, I’ll give you that,” she said, looking over at him. “You could do worse. And you are due a new bloke. It’s been ages since you ended things with Mark.”

“I literally just met him,” Elizabeth said, laughing.

“So? Sounds like an adorable story. Imagine telling it to everyone at your wedding years from now,” her co-worker said.

“Maggie!” Elizabeth shouted, though she couldn’t help but keep the smile on her face. She looked back over at Arthur. The dreams had continued. Which was making it slightly awkward to approach him. She wasn’t sure what to say, though she knew that she very well couldn’t blurt out that she dreamed about him every night.

“Your kids would be gorgeous,” Maggie continued.

“Alright, shut it. We’ve got work to do,” Elizabeth said, starting to walk off.

“At least dance with him at some point tonight!” Maggie called out after her.

“Yea, yea,” Elizabeth replied as she strode off. She shook her head slightly, focusing on the task at hand. She needed to take care of these tables and then maybe she might risk finally talking to Arthur.

~~~

“Oh, I thought I would die,” Elia said, causing a couple sitting at her other side to laugh loudly. Arthur glanced over at them as he sipped his champagne, not really following the conversation. Elia had disappeared to go to the restroom and returned with the people in tow, saying they got to chatting in line for the loo. As they had more alcohol than they could drink on their own, she had invited them to sit at their table.

Merlin leaned over and whispered that Elia was always doing that, it seemed. Though the friendships were always short-lived.

The couple replied with something that set Elia and Merlin laughing, though Arthur didn’t understand why as he returned to scanning the crowd, wondering where Elizabeth was. He hadn’t seen her since she stopped by the table when they first arrived. He was beginning to wonder if she was avoiding him.

“Finally, you’ve returned,” Elia said, grabbing Arthur’s attention. He straightened up in his chair as he saw Elizabeth walking up to them.

“Got a minute to myself,” she said, smiling as she walked up. Arthur was immediately on his feet, pulling out the chair next to him for her. “Thank you.”

She sat down and looked around the table.

“Take it you’re enjoying the party?” she asked.

“Brilliant event,” Elia said. She glanced over at Merlin. “Though I think it’s about time we took another spin around the dance floor. Come, darling.” She stood and started dragging Merlin with her, nearly knocking over his glass in the process. The couple they were chatting with followed soon after.

Arthur cleared his throat as he glanced at Elizabeth nervously.

“Would you like something to drink?” he asked.

“Ehm, sure,” Elizabeth said. He quickly poured her a glass of champagne and held it out. Elizabeth took it and began sipping as she looked around the party.

“So… this is what you do?” Arthur asked, leaning towards her slightly. He was unsure of what to say but felt like he needed to say something.

“Yes, well, not all the time. We don’t have events every week or anything. I do a lot of writing on press releases and such as well,” she said quickly. “But I enjoy planning the events the most.” Arthur nodded.

“I’ve never been to anything like this before,” he admitted.

“Not a party sort?” Elizabeth asked.

“I’ve been to parties,” Arthur said. “Just… not like this.”

“Ah, you prefer smaller events,” she replied.

“I suppose,” Arthur said, unsure of how to reply. The feasts they held in Camelot certainly weren’t small, but they weren’t like this. Not nearly. Arthur looked towards the dance floor, catching Merlin expertly swing Elia around as she tossed her head back in laughter.

“They are an interesting couple,” Elizabeth said, glancing over at Arthur and then back at the couple on the floor. “How long have they been together?”

“Forever, it seems,” Arthur answered, looking down at his glass. He couldn’t watch them for too long without getting flashbacks of dancing with Gwen. A soft smile came across his face as the image came up in his mind.

Gwen laughing similarly as he swung her around, her dress swishing around them.

Next to him, Elizabeth gasped as a shudder went through her and she saw a flash of something.

A red velvet dress swishing around. Laughter. Arthur smiling down at her. She looked over at him, confused. Yet she couldn’t say anything. He would think she had gone mental.

“Would you like to dance?” she found herself asking him instead. Arthur looked up at her with wide eyes.

“I, ehm, I-”

“I mean, if you don’t want to, that’s fine,” Elizabeth said quickly, feeling as though she were back in high school. She mentally chided herself.

“It’s not that - I’d Iove to. I just… I don’t really know how to do… that,” he said, motioning towards the dance floor. Elizabeth laughed softly.

“You don’t know how to dance?” she asked, propping her chin in her hand as she studied him.

“I know how to dance,” Arthur said, frowning slightly. “I just don’t know… that.” Elizabeth looked over at the dance floor and back at Arthur. She stood and reached over, grabbing his hand and pulling him up.

“I’ll show you. It’s not that hard,” she said, leading towards the crowd. Arthur swallowed, silently thanking God when the music changed to something slower. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep up with the mad kicking around that most of the people had been doing before. Once they were in the middle of the floor, Elizabeth turned to face him, putting one hand on his shoulder and holding the other out. Arthur stared at her a few moments before glancing around and noticing what others were doing. He placed on hand on Elizabeth’s waist and taking her other.

They slowly started moving around with the music and Arthur breathed a slight sigh of relief.

“See, not so hard,” Elizabeth said, stepping closer to him. He could feel his cheeks heating up at her nearness. He didn’t remember ever being this close to someone when dancing before. “Take it you don’t do much dancing in your line of work.”

“I… no,” Arthur said, finding it easier than telling her that he was used to doing different sort of dances. He had learned enough over the past few days to know that court dances had long been out of fashion.

“What was it like? Living in Boston?” she asked, looking up at him. Arthur struggled to remember everything that he had learned but found he couldn’t.

“I was… it was a bit lonely,” he said finally. “That’s why I came back.”

“To be closer to Leo and Elia,” she said.

“M-Leo is my closest friend. He and Elia are essentially the only family I have,” he said truthfully. “And I suppose it’s the same for them. I’m about all they have left.”

“Sounds so sad,” Elizabeth said.

“It’s not so bad. We have each other. It’s enough for now,” he replied. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows slightly and nodded.

“Well… suppose you can count me as a friend,” she said, starting to smile.

“I… thank you,” he said. Elizabeth just chuckled and glanced around. He was odd, she found. But yet, she still couldn’t help but want to be around him. There was a naivety about him that she hadn’t seen in anyone before. It was refreshing. And yet, Elizabeth still knew very little about him.

“Tell me, Arthur, what do you like to do for fun?” she asked. Arthur went quiet again, unsure of how to answer. They hadn’t covered that in his lessons. And he very well couldn’t say jousting or going on quests.

“Reading,” he finally answered. “I’ve had a lot of time lately to read. And watching… doc... documentaries.” He hoped he had said that correctly.

“Really? About what,” Elizabeth asked, leaning closer to him.

“History. I find it fascinating,” he said, finding the tension in his shoulders relaxing just a bit. He was finding it easier to talk to her. “What about you?”

“Myself? Well… I do enjoy going to the cinema,” she said. “And concerts. Though I don’t get out very often. Got my favorite pubs as well.”

“Is that so?” Arthur asked, remembering Merlin explaining pubs. Though he had yet to go to one. They sounded essentially the same as the taverns they used to visit back in the day. Though far less dangerous. “Perhaps we could go sometime. If that pleases you.” Elizabeth chuckled a bit at his formal speech.

“That would be nice,” she said.

“Liz!”

The two turned, seeing another woman running up to her. She stopped when she saw Arthur and started grinning.

“Yea, Mags?”

“The man of the hour needs us,” she said. “So sorry to intrude. I’m Maggie.” Arthur let go of Elizabeth and bowed slightly.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said. Maggie raised her eyebrows as she continued to grin.

“Duty calls,” Elizabeth said. “I’ll catch up to you later, yea?”

“Of course,” Arthur said, turning to look at her. With one last smile, she walked off, grabbing Maggie and dragging her away. Arthur glanced around the dance floor a bit before making his way back to the table. He sat down and reached over, refilling his glass. He looked back out at the dance floor, quickly finding Merlin and Elia, dancing slowly. Elia’s head was on his shoulder, her eyes closed as a small smile played across her face. Merlin looked down at her before gently kissing her.

Once again, Arthur felt a tightening in his chest as the longing for Gwen filled him. He looked around, finding Elizabeth talking to someone, nodding her head emphatically. She glanced over, catching his eye and smiling slightly before returning her attention to whoever she was talking to.

Perhaps there was something there. Perhaps Elia and Merlin were right. Maybe she was Gwen. A small bubble of hope began to expand in his chest.

Perhaps this new world wasn’t so mad after all.


	10. When You Wish Upon a Reincarnation

Arthur stumbled down the stairs the next morning, already smelling breakfast cooking. He had a slight headache even though he hadn’t drunk that much at the party. He blamed it on the fizzy alcohol that Elia had ordered bottles of - champagne.

He walked into the kitchen, finding both Merlin and Elia at the stove yet again. It seemed the two rather enjoyed cooking together. Elia laughed at something and then playfully shoved Merlin.

“I told you that you’d eventually get the Charleston down,” she said.

“Please don’t make me do it again,” Merlin whined. Arthur cleared his throat and the two turned to look at him.

“Good! You’re up! Take it things went well with Elizabeth last night,” she said, smiling at him. Arthur walked over and sat on a stool, reaching for a pitcher of orange juice that was there, pouring it into a glass.

“Suppose,” he said. Merlin glanced at Elia and then turned to face Arthur.

“Something go wrong?” he asked.

“No, at least I don’t think so,” Arthur said. “Just…” He looked up at the two and sighed. “I don’t have the foggiest idea of what I’m doing. If this were back then… I’d… woo her. But I don’t know how to do that now… Or if I even want to.”

“Of course you do! It’s Gwen!” Elia shouted, frowning as she looked over at him.

“Are you sure? Isn’t there… some way that you can use magic to find out for sure?” he asked, his eyes pleading with them. Elia sighed and turned back to the cooking as Merlin looked at her.

“Maybe? I don’t know. There could be something in the book, but I still haven’t found it yet. I was a bit preoccupied with looking into Elizabeth,” she admitted. “But I’m doubling down on efforts today.”

“Regardless, it wouldn’t hurt to try and get to know her better,” Merlin said.

“Just how do I do that?” Arthur asked.

“Take her on a date. Go to dinner. See a movie,” Merlin said, listing off a number of things. Though Arthur just stared at him, none of it really registering. Merlin’s face then lit up. “I’ve got it. Send her flowers.” Elia chuckled.

“No one really does that much anymore,” she said. “Only in the pictures.” Merlin frowned as he looked over at her.

“I send you flowers all the time,” he said.

“Yes, and you’re old fashioned,” she replied. “Though I do love them… maybe it’s not that bad of an idea…”

“And how does one send flowers?” Arthur asked tiredly.

“Leave it to me…”

~~~

Elizabeth hummed to herself as she placed the large bouquet of flowers in a vase and then walked over and set it on her coffee table. She was a bit surprised to receive them - even more surprised when she read the note and discovered they were from Arthur. It seemed he was a romantic. She found it made him even more endearing.

She had dreamt of him again last night, this time the two of them sitting alongside a brook in a forest. Once again, they were dressed in period clothing. Something she still found odd. She didn’t understand why it was that she always saw them in something out of a knight movie. Made no sense to her.

Looking around the room, she took stock of what she needed to do. There was some cleaning and laundry. She then looked back at the table, finding she didn’t like the vase there. Bending over, she picked it up then turned to walk over to a side table.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and Elizabeth gasped. She blinked her eyes and found herself no longer standing in her living room, but in what appeared to be a castle. She looked around frantically, wondering what was happening. She hadn’t had much to drink the night before. Was this some sort of hallucination? Was she really losing her mind?

“There you are,” a voice said. Elizabeth spun around, seeing a smiling Arthur walk into the room and stepping over to her. He placed his hands on her waist and gazed down at her. “More fresh flowers?”

Elizabeth couldn’t answer, only nodded her head.

“Are you excited about our trips to The Willows? I noticed that you and Elia were writing more,” he said, still looking at her.

“Elia?” Elizabeth asked. Arthur chuckled.

“Suppose she’s got loads of elven dresses ready for you,” he said. He then kissed her. “I’m late to a council meeting. See you afterwards, Gwen?” Elizabeth didn’t answer. Her name wasn’t Gwen. She had to be dreaming. But she wasn’t asleep. What was this?

“Gwen?”

Suddenly, there was another flash and Elizabeth was back in her living room. The vase slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor. She stood a few moments, staring at the broken glass and flowers strewn about as her hands began shaking.

What was happening to her? Ever since she had met Leo, Elia and Arthur, she had felt off. Strange. It wasn’t just the dreams that were quite possibly the most vivid dreams she had ever had. But now she was seeing things. And occasionally she randomly thought things - things about Arthur, Elia and Leo that she shouldn’t know. That she swore none of them had ever mentioned to her.

Elizabeth ran her fingers through her hair as she looked around the room, wondering what she should do. She could call her brother, but he’d likely call her mad. There was also Maggie, but she didn’t think she would take it all well either. She then thought about Elia and Leo. For some inexplicable reason, she felt like she needed to talk to them. That they would be able to explain everything. She didn’t know why. She had just met all of them and surely they would call her mad.

But she could feel something in her bones, something that told her she needed to go see them. Before she could change her mind, she walked over and grabbed her purse and keys. Best to do this now before she changed her mind.

~~~

Elia sighed and sat back on the floor, staring up at the wall of books in the library on the second floor of the townhouse. It wasn’t nearly as expansive as the one at the country house, but she had still spent a few hours that day going through every shelf for a third time that week and she still hadn’t found the blasted journals.

“Where the bloody hell did I put them,” she muttered to herself, scanning the rows of books with a frown. She tried to remember the last time she had read them. It had been so long that she wasn’t sure where that was.

Usually she was rather good at remembering things, which just pissed her off even more. Pushing off from the floor, she began pacing around the room. She remembered sitting at a desk. But was it the one here or the one at the country house? She stopped pacing, closing her eyes for a moment as she thought back.

She had put them in a box for safekeeping. A wooden box. And then she put it on a shelf. No, she took it to the country house and left it there.

But then, she remembered packing the box into the car. They came here.

Elia’s eyes flew open as she stared at the bookshelves and then quickly strode out of the room. She wasn’t finding them in the library because they weren’t there. A smile started to appear on her face as she ran up the stairs to the third floor and down the hallway to the large master bedroom at the back of the house. She quickly made her way to a large chest at the foot of the bed. Pulling it open, she then started pawing through blankets until she uncovered a wooden box at the bottom.

“Please be it,” she whispered as she opened the lid. Lying inside where three, large books. She pulled one out and opened it, relief filling her as she read the first page. Faeranduil had left many books of writing to her, but these three were the most important, he had said.

Elia quickly skimmed through the pages before slamming it shut and reaching for the next one. She flipped through it as well before stopping on a page, her eyes widening as a grin filled her face.

“I’ve found it!” she shouted to the empty room. She settled in and read the chapter thoroughly a couple times, taking extra time to look over a corresponding spell. She then jumped to her feet and started out of the room. She needed to tell Merlin and Arthur the news.

And then they needed to find Elizabeth. Quickly.

~~~

Merlin glanced over at Arthur, who was once again on the sofa reading through Gwen’s journals. He had gotten a bit excited about the flowers, but since then, he had become withdrawn. It was a bit troubling and Merlin hoped Elia found the journals soon so they could figure out something that could help.

He turned his eyes back to the newspaper he was reading, turning his thoughts to the other task at hand. Finding out why Arthur had come back in the first place.

“Merlin… just how much trouble where my children?” Arthur asked suddenly, looking over at him.

“What do you mean?” Merlin asked, not looking up from the paper.

“It seems Gwen spent a fair amount of time complaining about the twins,” Arthur replied, looking down at the book. Merlin looked over at him, his eyebrows raised.

“Well… they were just like any other children… they had their moments. But all that matters is… they grew up to be good people,” Merlin said, looking back at the paper.

“I wasn’t this much trouble,” Arthur said. Merlin glanced at him, smiling slightly.

“I’m sure you were,” he replied. Arthur snorted.

“I most certainly was not,” he retorted.

“Your father probably would have something to say about that,” Merlin said.

“Right, and I’m sure you were perfect angel,” Arthur said dryly.

“I was… well… it wasn’t intentional,” he started. “I had a hard time controlling my magic as a child. And yea, it created some trouble. But it’s not like I meant to cause that much difficulty for my mother.” Arthur looked over at him.

“Was it… was it hard for you? Hiding who you were all those years?” Arthur asked. Merlin sighed and put down the paper.

“It was for a bit, but I got used to it. Sometimes harder than others,” he answered honestly. “But I had to keep it secret. Otherwise I’d have been dead a long time ago.”

“Because of my father,” Arthur said, looking back down at the journal.

“Yea…” Merlin replied. Arthur nodded.

“Then I suppose it’s a good thing I’m nothing like him,” he said, looking over at Merlin and offering him a smile. Merlin nodded, smiling in return.

“Yea, that’s good,” he said, turning back to the paper as Arthur returned to the journal.

Suddenly, the doorbell chimed. Both Merlin and Arthur looked up.

“What was that?” Arthur asked.

“Someone’s here,” Merlin said, standing and putting the paper aside.

“Who would come visit you?” Arthur asked. Merlin shot him a glare as he walked out of the sitting room and into the front hallway to the door. He yanked it open and froze, seeing Elizabeth standing there. She fidgeted slightly.

“I… sorry to bother you,” she said.

“No worries,” Merlin said, offering her a smile. He wasn’t sure why she was here, but that didn’t stop him from stepping to the side. “Would you like to come in?” Elizabeth frowned slightly, obviously a bit torn. She looked back over her shoulder and then up at Merlin before nodding and stepping into the large foyer of the townhouse.

“Ehm, let’s go to the sitting room,” he said quickly, shutting the door and then leading her down the hallway. Elizabeth followed him silently, still looking around her as though she were searching for something.

They walked into the room, finding Arthur watching them. He quickly stood to his feet, his eyes widening as he saw the woman.

“Gw-Elizabeth,” he said with a slight bow. Merlin looked back at Elizabeth, whose face seemed to lose some of its color. “What are you doing here?” She looked at Merlin and then back at Arthur.

“What were you about to say? You almost called me something else,” she said. Arthur looked at Merlin, silently asking what he should say. “Was it… was it Gwen?” Both Merlin and Arthur whipped their heads to look at her.

“Where did you hear that name?” Merlin asked. Elizabeth sighed and shrugged, looking up at the ceiling as she fought off tears.

“I’m not completely sure,” she started. She looked back at the two. “Truth be told, ever since I met you, a lot of strange things have been happening. At first, I thought it was just stress from work, but then today…”

“What happened?” Arthur asked, immediately concerned for her.

“I see you in my dreams. All of you. But it’s not like it’s happening now. It’s… we’re all dressed in some costumes. And in a castle,” she said. Merlin and Arthur looked at each other as Merlin started smiling. He knew that they were right about Elizabeth. “And then today… it was like I had a hallucination… I was with you.” A faint blush came across her cheeks. “You called me Gwen and said we were going to visit Elia in someplace called The Willows.”

“She’s remembering,” Merlin said softly. Elizabeth looked over at him.

“I’m not completely sure why I came here or why I’m telling you this, but… I just felt like you would understand,” she said. “And what’s this about remembering?”

Arthur opened his mouth, but Elia ran into the room at that moment, a book in her hand and her face bright. She slid to a stop as soon as she saw Elizabeth. All three turned to look at her.

“Elizabeth,” she said, her eyes widening. The woman nodded slightly. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”

“She’s remembering,” Merlin said, looking back at her.

“Again, what is this about remembering?” Elizabeth asked, nearly shouting. She looked around the three of them. “Why am I constantly seeing you in my dreams?” Elia glanced down at the book in her hand and then back up at Merlin, who had turned his attention to Elizabeth.

“They’re not dreams or hallucinations. They’re memories,” he said quickly. “We believe that you’re the reincarnation of Queen Guinevere. Gwen… that’s what we all called her, er, you.” Elizabeth stared at him a few moments then broke out in loud, slightly unhinged laughter.

“Christ, I’m not the mad one. You clearly are,” she said. “Queen Guinevere as in all the legends of King Arthur? Those are just stories.”

“Just… listen,” Merlin said, stepping towards her. “I’m Merlin. I’ve been alive for 1,500 years waiting for the return of King Arthur. This is my wife, Elia. She’s an elf. She’s been alive for nearly 2,000 years.” Elizabeth looked over at Elia, who was rolling her eyes. She wasn’t sure the best way to go about this but was pretty sure that this wasn’t it. Just plowing right into it.

“But none of that is real. It’s just some fairy tale that someone made up centuries ago. And elves don’t really exist,” Elizabeth said.

“It very much was real,” Arthur said. Elizabeth looked over at him.

“So that must make you the reincarnation of King Arthur,” she said, starting to laugh again.

“No. I’m the real Arthur,” he said. “I died 1,500 years ago in battle and then woke up… well, a bit over a week ago.” Elizabeth went silent as she stared at him.

“You’re all mad,” she said simply.

“Christ,” Elia said, walking over to them, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Do it, Merlin.” All three stared at her. “She’s not going to believe us unless you do it.” Merlin nodded silently. He then stared at Elia and muttered something under his breath, his eyes flashing.

The glamour fell away from Elia as her ears elongated, taking their natural form. Elizabeth squeaked and jumped back, her hand going to her mouth.

“What the hell!” she shouted, looking at Merlin.

“There’s more he can do,” Elia said. Elizabeth looked over at her again and stepped closer, reaching out as though she were going to touch them, but stopped herself and stepped back quickly. “They’re real. You can touch them if you like.”

“I… no, thank you,” Elizabeth said. Elia looked over at Merlin and nodded.

He held out his hand, starting at it intensely as his eyes flashed again. Elizabeth jumped back with a shriek as a small fireball appeared in his palm.

Even Arthur backed up a bit.

“How did you- what the bloody hell?!” Elizabeth shouted. “Are you a magician or something?” Merlin extinguished it as Elia walked up to the other woman.

“Not a magician. I prefer warlock or sorcerer,” he replied, smiling slightly. Elia fought from rolling her eyes again.

“What they’re saying is true. All of it,” she said, holding up the book. “This book… it has information about this sort of thing.” Elizabeth was speechless as she gaped at her.

“You found it,” Merlin said, finally noticing what she had in her hand. Elia looked at him and nodded.

“Faeranduil mentions that it has been found in the past that certain souls have been reborn in a new age. Usually for some purpose. And at some point in time, their old memories will awaken,” she said. “He didn’t know what caused this to happen, but I think… perhaps our meeting the other day sparked it. When she saw us, that started the awakening.”

“That’s what’s happening now,” Arthur said, staring at Elizabeth.

“Yes, but it takes time. Years, even,” Elia said. “In one case he dealt with personally, some memories never returned when left alone.” Arthur frowned as he looked at her.

“We may not have that time,” he said.

“I know. But… there’s a spell,” Elia said, looking back to Merlin. “It can bring all of them back. Now. He figured it out with a group of druid sorcerers.” The three looked at Elizabeth.

“Seriously! You lot are mad. This… this makes no sense. I don’t know what I was thinking by coming here. This was obviously a mistake,” Elizabeth said, starting to turn and walk out.

“Wait! Don’t go, just… wait a minute,” Elia said. She handed the book to Merlin and then dashed out of the room.

“Where is she going?” Elizabeth asked, worried that she was about to be murdered in the middle of the sitting room. Just as quickly, Elia came back, holding a few pages of very old paper in her hands. She walked up to Elizabeth’s side, showing what appeared to be old drawings dated back God knows how many years. She had on white gloves.

“This is you. Well… the old you. Queen Guinevere,” she said, holding them out to her. Elizabeth looked down, her eyes widening as she saw they were drawings of herself. Wearing the dress from her dreams. She looked back up at Elia.

“That’s not possible,” she said.

“It is,” Elia replied.

“How do I know those are real? You could have drawn them the other day and just… aged them with coffee or tea,” Elizabeth replied, not wanting to believe that she truly was looking at a 1,500-year-old drawing of herself. Elia rolled her eyes.

“Why would I do that? And how would I know that you’d come barging in one day, talking about dreams and such,” Elia said bluntly. Elizabeth just stared at her.

“No, this can’t be real,” she said, starting to turn again. 

“Elizabeth, wait,” Merlin called out. “Don’t you want to know what this all means?” She stopped and looked back at him. “The dreams? Memories? Just… let me try the spell. Worst case, it doesn’t work and we were wrong and you can go back to your old life and forget about us. But if it does…”

She looked to the ground, hesitating.

“We promise… it won’t hurt,” Elia said. Elizabeth looked up at her and then over at Arthur. It was clear from his face that he was eager for her to say yes. She huffed slightly and shook her head.

“I don’t know why I’m saying this, but yea. Okay,” she replied. Arthur started grinning as Merlin walked over to Elia. She handed him the drawings as she took the book and opened it, flipping through the pages.

“Here it is,” she said, showing it to him. He looked it over a few moments.

“Okay… I’m going to need to gather some ingredients, but I think I can have everything ready by tonight,” he said. He looked over at Arthur, both of them now smiling.

“You know what this means,” Arthur said. “If she is really Gwen, then perhaps there are others out there. The knights.” Merlin left Elia’s side and walked over to Arthur, the two embracing.

“We could get them all back,” he said. Elizabeth watched the exchange, an odd look on her face.

“You’re forgetting something,” Elia said. Both men stopped their celebrating, looking over at there. “If Gwen, even the knights, are back… it also means there could be others… others we don’t wish to return.”

“Morgana,” Merlin said, his smile quickly disappearing.

“Or Mordred,” Elia added. They both looked at Arthur, who was now frowning. “Perhaps that the reason you’ve returned. Because they have as well.” A tense silence filled the room.

“Well, I’m not sure what you lot are talking about, but if we’re going to do this magic spell thingy, I need a drink,” Elizabeth said. The three looked at her, forgetting for a moment that she was standing there.

“You and me both,” Elia said, handing the book over to Merlin. “You get to work on that. Elizabeth, come with me.” She motioned for the woman to follow her, which she did.

“Does it hurt?” they heard her asked.

“What?” Elia replied.

“Your ears. When you do… the thing?” Elizabeth asked. Elia chuckled.

“No. Tell me… what’s your poison? We have an entire bar back here…”

“Do you think it’s possible? That Morgana and Mordred were also reborn?” Arthur asked once they were out of the room. Merlin shrugged as he turned back to the book.

“Maybe? I’m not sure,” he said. “Come on. Should have a good deal of this in the pantry or garden. But may need to go out for some of it.” Arthur stood still, watching as Merlin started walking of the room, his head still buried in the book. Merlin sensed that he wasn’t being followed and stopped, looking back over at Arthur. “Come on!”

Arthur nodded and quickly moved to follow him.

“How long is this going to take?” he asked, looking at the book.

“Well… need to get everything and then brew a potion… I’d say just a few hours,” Merlin replied. Arthur nodded.

“Let’s get to work…”


	11. Bibbidi, Bobbidi, Merlin

Later that evening, Merlin led them outside to the patio and motioned for Elizabeth to sit at the table there. While Merlin and Arthur had been running through the garden and then locked up in the basement attending to the potion, Elia and Elizabeth had been sitting in the kitchen, slowly working through a bottle of whiskey.

Even though Elizabeth didn’t seem completely convinced they were telling the truth, she certainly had a lot of questions for Elia, starting with the truth behind the legends. Elia had calmly explained Arthur’s history to her, then told her about the prophecy. After being stunned a few moments over how far off the stories were from what she grew up hearing, she then turned to asking Elia about various historical events, fascinated by the idea that she had been around for over 1,500 years. It was in the middle of a spirited re-telling of Henry Tudor and the real story behind his six wives that Merlin and Arthur dashed into the kitchen, proclaiming that they were ready and needed to do the spell now while it was dark.

Elizabeth looked over at a small bottle filled with a dark blue liquid sitting after sitting down, her eyes widening. Though she was a fair bit tipsy at this point, she worried what was in that bottle.

Partially what it would do to her and partially how it would taste.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a little elixir of sorts to help with the process,” Merlin said. “Just… make yourself comfortable.” She took a deep breath and slowly let it out as Merlin moved to look at the book again. Elia stood nearby watching him closely, while Arthur watched Elizabeth, his brow furrowed. Elizabeth rolled her head around, trying to loosen up and relax despite the fact she was about to drink some unknown concoction and take part in some sort of magic ritual.

“And you’re sure this won’t hurt her,” Arthur asked, glancing at Merlin. The warlock looked up at the sky and then back down at the book.

“If I follow all the instructions, it should be fine. Says I’m supposed to perform it while the moon is out, which it is. Outside, since nature contains its own brand of magic. And yea. Just drink this, say the words, and her memories should return,” he said lightly.

“I thought the elves didn’t do magic like warlocks,” Arthur said, turning his gaze to Elia.

“We can’t. Faeranduil got this from a sorceress,” Elia said. He then turned his attention back to Merlin.

“Merlin… how long has it been since you’ve performed something this large?” Arthur asked, a frown on his face.

“I know what I’m doing,” Merlin said, smiling. Arthur just raised an eyebrow at him. “Seriously, Arthur. It’ll be fine.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Arthur asked.

“Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” Elizabeth said, some of her liquid courage starting to wear off. She began to stand, but Elia placed her hands on her shoulders and firmly sat her back down.

“It’ll be fine. Do you, or do you not want her to get her memories back?” Elia asked, looking to Arthur. He stared at her for a moment and then nodded. “Merlin knows what he’s doing. He’s the greatest warlock on earth. Let him do this.” She looked down at Elizabeth. “You’ll be fine, I assure you.”

“Then let’s get this over with before I change my mind,” the woman said quickly. Merlin held the bottle out to her.

“Bottom’s up,” he said brightly. Elizabeth took it, smelling it cautiously. “Doesn’t smell so great. Or taste great. Best to do it in one go.” She held it up to him in a sort of salute and then quickly drank it, grimacing at the taste. “Right… now… just relax.”

He stepped back and held his hand towards her, taking a deep breath. He then began chanting in another language, his eyes changing color. Elizabeth’s eyes widened in fear as she felt something come over her. Her head flew back as she gripped the arms of the chair, gasping loudly. Arthur quickly began moving towards her.

“Don’t! You’ll interrupt the spell,” Elia said, fixing him in a stern look. “It’s almost over.”

Merlin finished the incantation and then lowered his hand, watching as Elizabeth fell forward, her head in her hands as she breathed heavily.

“Give it a minute. She’s likely to be disoriented,” he said, watching her and then Arthur out of the corner of his eye. “She’ll keep all her memories as Elizabeth, so her mind needs some time to settle as the old ones come back.”

The three stood silently, all praying that this worked and they hadn’t made a mistake.

Elizabeth’s breathing started to even out as she glanced up. Elia moved around, standing next to Merlin.

“Elizabeth?” she asked softly. The woman stared at her, seeming confused for a few moments. She looked down at her hands and then back up at the group. Her eyes widened as realization came over her face.

“Lia?” she whispered. “Is that really you?” Elia began to smile as she nodded.

“Yes,” she replied softly. The woman then looked to Merlin, a smile breaking out.

“Merlin…”

“Welcome back, Gwen,” he replied. Her eyes then fell on Arthur. Tears started forming as she pushed herself up out of the chair.

“Arthur… is it… is it really you?” she asked breathlessly. Arthur took a hesitant step towards her. “Are you really here?”

“I am,” he said, barely able to speak. A bright grin broke across her face as she started towards him. But her legs started to give out. Arthur was at her side immediately, catching her before she could hit the ground.

“Like I said, she’ll be a bit disoriented. Wobbly,” Merlin replied. “But over the next hour or so, all her memories as Gwen should come back fully.”

“I can’t believe it’s you,” Gwen said, looking up at Arthur as she touched his face, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

“We should get her inside. Let her lie down,” Elia offered. Arthur nodded as he easily picked Gwen up and carried her inside.

“Well… glad that worked out,” Merlin said. Elia looked over at him.

“Was there a chance it wouldn’t?” she asked.

“If it wasn’t really Gwen, well… she would have likely ended up with amnesia according to the text,” Merlin said. Elia’s eyes widened.

“Merlin! Why didn’t you say anything?” Elia replied, smacking him in the back of the head. Merlin winced, frowning at her as he rubbed his head.

“Obviously I knew it was going to work,” he retorted. “We knew it was Gwen.”

“That’s not the point!” Elia said. “You should be upfront with side effects!”

“And do you honestly think she would have let us do this if she heard that?” he asked. Elia just rolled her eyes and started walking back inside.

~~~

They walked into the den, which was infinitely cozier than the front sitting room, finding that Arthur had put Gwen down on the large sofa there and was busy making her comfortable by plumping a pillow behind her before moving to put another under her feet.

“Really, you don’t need to do this, Arthur,” she said, laughing slightly.

“Do you need anything?” he asked, looking over at her.

“Aspirin and some water would do,” Gwen said.

“Right,” Arthur said, straightening up. He started towards the archway, then stopped, looking back at her. “What’s aspirin?”

“I’ll get it,” Elia said, turning to walk out of the room.

“How do you feel?” Merlin asked, walking over to her.

“Strange,” Gwen said, looking over at him. “I mean… I know I’m Gwen and I can remember most of that life, but at the same time Elizabeth is still in there… it’s like… I’m two people at once… and my head is too full… it’s a bit foggy...”

“Should get better once you’ve adjusted,” Merlin said. He then grinned. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Good to be back,” she said, looking over at Arthur, who had dropped down to his knees next to her. She reached out and gently touched his face. “I’ve missed you so much…”

“Same here,” he replied. “I thought I would never see you again.”

“And here we are,” Gwen added, tears still sneaking down her cheeks. Elia walked back in, a glass in one hand and two tiny tablets in another. She walked over as Gwen sat up.

“Thanks, Lia,” she said, taking the pills and popping them in her mouth before swallowing some of the water.

“Don’t mention it,” Elia said, smiling at her. She walked back over and stood next to Merlin, who wrapped an arm around her waist.

“You two look exactly the same,” Gwen said. Elia smiled as she looked up at Merlin.

“Suppose we can thank magic for that,” Merlin replied.

“You’ve been in London this whole time?” Gwen asked.

“Some of the time. We have a place near the lake of Avalon where we stay mostly,” Elia replied. “Came here with Arthur to show him some things.”

“We had children,” Arthur said, as Gwen looked over at him. She nodded.

“Before we get into all that… is there… someone that we should contact? I mean, you’ve spent the last 20-so years as Elizabeth. Does anyone know you came here?” Elia interjected, earning a scowl from Arthur.

“Ehm… no. I live alone, like I told you. And I don’t have to be in to work until Monday,” she said. “Did have plans with Maggie tomorrow, but she cancelled earlier.” Arthur looked back at her; a bit perplexed. He had forgotten for a moment that she had been living a completely different life before this. Her eyes suddenly widened again as she looked at Merlin.

“If Arthur’s back, that means something is about to happen,” she said, worry starting to enter her voice. “What is it?”

“We’re not sure, to be honest,” Merlin said. “Arthur hasn’t been back that long. We’ve been looking into it, but still haven’t figured it out. Though, we’re already seeing signs that the elves are likely to return soon.” Gwen nodded.

“Do you think there are others out there?” she asked. “You found me - perhaps others have been reborn in this time…”

Elia and Merlin looked at each other, their eyebrows raised. They had wonder that exact thing just before bringing her memories back.

“We should look for them,” Arthur said. “On the… internet.” Merlin, Gwen and Elia all whipped their heads to look at him. Merlin and Elia were a bit surprised to see that he was finally picking up some things.

“Not sure the internet will help there,” Elia said. “Especially if they are all going by different names and have no memories of their previous lives until they meet us.”

“But then… how will we find them?” Arthur asked.

“We found Gwen by chance… though the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced it was more fate than coincidence,” Merlin said. “My guess, if there are others out there, then perhaps we will find them in the same way.” Gwen and Arthur nodded, seeming to take this in stride. Gwen then looked at Arthur, starting to smile again.

“Ehm, well… you lot must be hungry. Merlin and I will just… see about some supper,” Elia said, grinning as she started pulling Merlin out of the room.

“She just got her memories back! We have a lot to talk about!” Merlin exclaimed.

“I know,” Elia said through gritted teeth, nodding her head towards the couple and giving him a look.

“Ah, right. Supper it is,” Merlin said, smiling over at the two before rushing out with Elia.

“Seems they are giving us some space,” Gwen said, making herself comfortable on the sofa. She reached out and took Arthur’s hand, holding on to it tightly. Arthur didn’t say anything, just drank in the sight of her face. “I had always hoped that you would come back during my lifetime… where were you?”

“I was… nowhere, I suppose. I don’t really remember anything. One moment I was dying, then dead, the next I woke up on a lakeshore. And Merlin and Elia came rushing out of the underbrush dressed in the most ridiculous clothing,” he said. Gwen chuckled.

“I see there’s a lot for you to get used to in this time,” she replied. He nodded.

“But it doesn’t seem so daunting now,” he said. “I can’t help but thank God or whoever for another chance to be with you.”

“There’s so much to tell you,” Gwen said.

“I read your journals. Not all of them yet, but I had been reading them. Learning about Ariana and Arturos,” he said.

“I wish you could have met them,” she said. “I fear words and drawings are not enough to completely capture their spirits.”

“Perhaps… if you were reborn, they were too,” Arthur said. Gwen sighed and reached up, touching his cheek.

“Perhaps… or perhaps not,” she said. “But… we’re reunited. We should be grateful for that much. And see what Fate brings us next.” Arthur nodded and smiled. “I think part of me knew, when I was Elizabeth. When I met you… about all this.”

“How so?” Arthur asked. Gwen just shook her head.

“I was drawn to you. I couldn’t understand why, but there was this growing attraction to you. Even if you sometimes said things that made no sense or were out of place,” she replied.

“I promise you. Nothing will part us again,” Arthur vowed.

“Please don’t start making promises you can’t keep,” Gwen said softly, a sheen of tears in her eyes. “We don’t know how long this will last.”

“Then we should make the best of it for however long we are together,” Arthur said. Gwen smiled.

“I love you, Arthur,” she said.

“I love you too,” Arthur replied, brushing his lips across hers. A spark flew between the two. It had been a long time.

“I still can’t believe that… well… all of this, really,” Gwen said. “It’s so strange…”

“I find everything strange nowadays,” Arthur said with a sigh. “Television. Cars. Trains. History.” Gwen chuckled.

“Well, hopefully I can help you out with that a bit. Though seems Merlin and Elia have been doing a decent job of it so far,” she said.

“They do the best they can. Seems Merlin is the more patient of the two, which surprises me. Always thought the elves were incredibly patient,” he said. “To be honest, I still can’t seem to understand everything that they have seen and experienced.”

“I know. I remember the conversation I had with Lia just before the spell. She and Merlin were at court while Anne Boleyn was there. Said they left rather quickly after she was executed for witchcraft,” Gwen said. “There were many times throughout history that they had to hide away for fear of being discovered or accused.”

“Seems my father wasn’t the only who was afraid of magic,” Arthur said with a sigh. He looked around the den. “And now it’s all but gone.”

“Not completely,” Gwen said. “I wouldn’t be here if it was. Dare say none of us would be.” Arthur looked down at her and smiled.

“This is true,” he replied.

“It is good to see that you’ve finally embraced it,” she said.

“Not completely, but doing my best,” Arthur said.

“I think you’ll come to find it’s actually rather wonderful,” she said, sitting up and kissing him again. As she was leaning back, he pulled her towards him, kissing her more passionately. While in his memory, it had only been a matter of weeks since he last saw her, he had thought that she was gone forever for a bit of time.

The kiss deepened, though before either could go any further, there was a large growl. Arthur immediately looked around the room, on high alert.

“What was that?” he asked, scanning all the windows and corners for some foul beast. Gwen only chuckled. He looked down at her, confused.

“My stomach,” she said. “I’m a bit hungry.”

“Ah… well then… suppose I’ll go see how things are going with dinner…”

~~~

“I can’t believe she’s back,” Merlin said. He had said it several times since he and Elia stepped into the kitchen and continued up a steady stream of conversation as they worked to reheat leftovers. He hadn’t even noticed that Elia remained quiet, her brow furrowed. “You have to admit; it makes it so much easier not to hide things from her anymore. And I’m sure Arthur is relieved. Likely ecstatic.” He stopped, turning to look at Elia, who was staring down at a pan on the stove. “Lia?” She turned to look at him.

“Hmm?” she asked.

“Have you heard nothing? Why aren’t you excited? Gwen is back! And there could be others,” he said.

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” she said, meeting his eyes.

“Mordred and Morgana,” Merlin replied. She nodded, turning back to the stove.

“It would make sense. If they’ve been reborn and somehow gotten hold of their memories, they could be trying to pick up where they left off,” she said. “And in today’s world… I don’t want to think about what they could be capable of.” Merlin went silent, thinking it over.

It was true. While the world was much bigger, there were also many more opportunities for either of them to inflict a lot of damage.

“Have you seen anything?” he asked.

“No. But I also didn’t seen Gwen returning,” she said. “You know how it is. We can’t control it. It just comes when it comes. And I haven’t gotten them as often lately…”

“I think the best thing is to… cross that bridge when or if we get there,” Merlin said, stepping up to her side and putting his arm around her waist. “If Morgana is back - or Mordred - we’ll run into them eventually.”

“And hopefully not too late,” Elia interjected.

“And that. But for now, we should be happy. Gwen is back. Arthur is back. More of our friends could be out there,” he said before kissing her cheek. “Tonight should definitely be about celebrating.” Elia couldn’t help but smile as she looked up at him.

“It is awfully nice to have her back. I’m no longer outnumbered in the house,” she said.

“You think she’ll want to stay here?” Merlin asked. “Or will Arthur go with her?”

“She does have a life as Elizabeth that she has to take care of. I’m assuming for at least tonight she’ll stay. What tomorrow brings, who knows,” Elia replied. Merlin nodded as the two refocused on getting dinner ready, though not too quickly so that Arthur and Gwen could have time together.

“I hope that Gwaine comes back,” Merlin said after a while. “And perhaps Lancelot…”

“Isn’t that the bloke that broke up Gwen and Arthur the first time?” Elia asked, looking over at him.

“Right… well… I think we sorted that out back then…”

“Wouldn’t mind having Percival,” Elia continued. “Could need more muscle with whatever is coming. And I do miss Gwaine…”

“And then soon the elves will come back,” Merlin said. Elia sighed happily, finally settling into enjoying the moment. They could worry about what was coming tomorrow.

“It’s all starting to come together…”


	12. Hakuna Ma-Party

Over dinner the mood seemed to lighten up considerably. Now that Gwen could stand and walk without feeling woozy, Elia had popped a bottle of champagne and the group spent the meal reminiscing over old times and catching up. She and Merlin regaled Gwen with tales from their time over the years and all they had done and seen. Arthur sat silently through most of it, just smiling. He couldn’t nearly take his eyes from her, still not quite believing that Gwen was sitting next to him.

In just about a week, he gone from confusion, to despair, thinking he had lost her forever. He had slowly started adjusting, though he had still felt overwhelmed and unable to handle whatever was coming. But now that she was there, he could start to feel a bubble of hope inflating inside him.

“That was delicious. You two have become quite the chefs,” Gwen said, sitting back in her chair.

“You pick up a few things when you’ve been around as long as we have,” Merlin said, playing with his wine glass. Gwen studied the couple a moment, watching as Merlin reached over and took Elia’s hand.

“I have to admit… that day on the sidewalk, there was something familiar about you guys,” she said. She glanced at Arthur. “I went home thinking that I had met you somewhere before or seen you somewhere… and now we know why… Have you heard of this sort of thing before?”

“Seen it mentioned in some ancient texts but never in real life before now,” Merlin said. Elia glanced at him, an eyebrow raised. He quickly picked up his glass and took a drink.

“Faeranduil’s journals had the most information on it that I’ve come across yet,” she said, looking back at Gwen and Arthur. Her face then suddenly lit up.

“Oh no… I know that look. No, Lia. We’ve all been through enough today, don’t you think?” Merlin said, sighing heavily.

“I think it’s the perfect idea!” Elia shot back, turning to look at him.

“What is she talking about?” Arthur asked, frowning. He was with Merlin - he didn’t think he could handle much more excitement today. And the look on Elia’s face clearly said that she had something in mind that would fall most definitely in the excitement category. And not the good kind either.

“Really, I think it’s a great idea,” Elia continued, turning to look at the couple across from her. “There’s this club that I like. It’s brilliant. I think we should go out and celebrate.” Arthur’s frown deepened as Gwen started smiling.

“I think it’s a bad idea, Lia,” Merlin said.

“I think it sounds fun,” Gwen said. Everyone turned to look at her - Merlin and Arthur in shock, though Elia was grinning. “What is it?”

“Please don’t tell me it's the speakeasy one,” Merlin groaned. Elia shot him a look.

“No, I was talking about La Havana,” she said. “I thought you liked that place.”

“I love that place,” Gwen gushed. “But we had to wait in line forever to get in.” Elia turned to grin at her.

“Oh, we never wait,” she said, standing and walking out of the room.

“What are you all talking about?” Arthur asked, getting their attention. Before they could answer, Elia returned, the phone to her ear.

“Hello, Charles, darling, how are you?” she crooned as she sat back down next to Merlin, who was rolling her eyes at the over exaggerated accent. Gwen looked as though she were struggling to keep from laughing. Arthur was still confused. “Yes, lovely. Well… Richard and I fancy a night out and were wondering if you could have our table ready. There will be four… mhmm… yes… Lovely. See you then!” She then hung up the phone and put it on the table. “We’re all set. Best get ready.” She stood and kissed Merlin on the cheek. “Take care of the dishes, love?”

She then skipped over to Gwen and pulled her up out of her chair.

“Believe I got some things that would look amazing on you,” she said, guiding her out of the room.

“Merlin, what is going on?” Arthur asked again. Merlin sighed and stood, starting to gather up the dishes.

“We’re going out… again…”

“Again?” Arthur asked. He wasn’t sure he could handle two parties in two nights.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you…”

~~~

“This again,” Arthur said as they were led through the club towards stairs that led up to a balcony.

“It’s fun, isn’t it?” Gwen asked, looking up at him and smiling.

“Not sure if I would call this fun,” he said, looking around at all the people. They had already passed through a few different rooms, all dimly lit and some with small tables and lamps where various couples were close together talking and drinking. Others were large dance rooms with strange, loud music playing. The room they were currently in was the largest. There was a live band playing on stage while a woman sang and swung her hips in beat with the music. The couples on the dance floor were all spinning rather quickly or doing flips and such. Or had their bodies pressed fleshed up against each other in ways that Arthur thought was highly inappropriate for such a public setting.

He didn’t know what Elia was thinking, but there was no way in hell he’d ever be able to do that.

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you,” Gwen said, squeezing his hand. He looked down at her, still a bit in shock over her appearance. Elia had dressed her in a black, sparkly dress that was incredible short in Arthur’s opinion, but he did enjoy that it showed off her legs. She was in black heels and her dark curls were pulled up while her makeup was a bit heavy. Even though he still wasn’t used to the times or the style, he had to admit that he loved the way Gwen looked. Though that was likely because Gwen looked good in just about anything.

They continued to follow Elia and Merlin, who were chatting with a tall man with dark hair. As they approached the stairs, another large man pulled a red cord aside and they started up.

“Here you are - your favorite table,” the man said, motioning towards it with a flourish. There were already a few bottles of liquor, an ice bucket and glasses laid out along with a couple plates of small finger foods. The table had the perfect view of the dance floor below.

“Thank you, darling,” Elia said, kissing him on the cheek. The man then walked away and Merlin pulled a chair out for Elia. The four sat down as Elia leaned over, looking down at the dance floor.

“This is amazing. How did you do this?” Gwen shouted over the music.

“Saved the VIP manager’s life,” Elia shouted, neither looking at them nor seeming to offer an explanation. Gwen and Arthur’s eyes widened as they looked at each other and then back at Elia.

“It was a right time, right place sort of thing,” Merlin said. “And wasn’t nearly as dramatic as Elia makes it seem… he wasn’t really dying…”

“But _he_ certainly thought he was,” Elia said, turning to look at him with a smile. “And in his gratefulness, offered us this table anytime we want it. Just need to call.” She was already starting to move her shoulders in time with the music. “And since we can’t often get back to Cuba, this is the next best thing.”

“You went to Cuba?” Gwen asked, her eyes wide.

“We’ve been just about everywhere,” Merlin replied, starting to make up drinks.

“Hurry up! I want to do a toast and then go dance!” Elia shouted.

Merlin chuckled as he finished up the drinks and handed them around.

“To reunions!” Elia shouted.

“To reunions!”

They clinked their glasses together and Elia quickly drank half of hers before standing and dragging Merlin with her.

“Alright! I’m coming!” he shouted, a smile on his face.

“Good to see they’re very much the same,” Gwen said, watching them.

“It’s a bit odd for me to see them together so openly,” Arthur replied, glancing after them. Gwen grimaced slightly.

“Right… I forgot for a moment… You didn’t really get to see them together...” she said. “They brought a lot of happiness to the castle. It was sorely needed after…” She stopped talking as she picked up her glass and quickly drank. “The children… they brought a lot of happiness as well.”

“Elia saved the paintings and drawings of them,” Arthur said.

“She promised me she would… so that you could know them a bit,” Gwen said. “They reminded me so much of you. It helped.”

“I’m so sorry that I left you like that,” he said. Gwen shook her head, smiling softly.

“No need to apologize. There was nothing you could have done,” she said. “Fate is a strong thing to fight.”

“But if I had known-”

“Doesn’t mean that the same thing wouldn’t have happened,” Gwen said, cutting him off. “Besides it was a long time ago. There’s nothing we can do about it now. We should focus on the present and what is to be done for the future.” Arthur smiled and bent down, kissing her.

“I am glad that you are at my side yet again,” he said. Gwen smiled up at him.

“As am I,” she replied.

He then looked down at the dance floor, easily locating Merlin and Elia. Merlin was spinning Elia around as she grinned and then pulled her back closer to him as they moved around.

“I am not sure how I will ever learn everything in this time,” he admitted. “Everything is so strange…” Gwen laughed.

“You’ll pick it up. It’s not so hard,” she said. “And perhaps we can start now.” She stood and pulled Arthur up with her.

“Guinevere… what are you doing?” he asked, his eyes widening.

“I’m going to teach you how to salsa…”

~~~

“Look at them… so happy together,” Elia said, going up on her toes to speak into Merlin’s ear so he could hear her over the music. He looked over, seeing Arthur staring down at his feet as Gwen counted out and showed him where to put his feet. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

“It’s a good thing they’re in love. Doubt Gwen’s feet are going to survive the night,” he shouted back.

“He’ll pick it up. He wasn’t a bad dancer from what I remember,” Elia scoffed looking back up at him. “I did dance with him a few times over the years.”

“And I stood by, wishing that I could have been the one dancing with you,” Merlin replied.

“We certainly made up for it afterwards,” she said, raising an eyebrow at him as she smirked. “And dancing definitely got a lot more fun.”

“Couldn’t get you to stop. Still can’t,” he said.

“Ah, but would you have me any other way?” Elia asked.

“Course not,” Merlin said. She laughed and pecked him on the lips just before he swung her out and then back in.

“Good thing you’ve practiced,” she said. Merlin just rolled his eyes and bent her back down in a low dip.

“I’m a very good dancer, I’ll have you know,” he said. Before Elia could reply, he swung her around again, the only thing she could manage to get out was laughter. She had to admit that part of the reason she wanted them to go out was so they could put off the inevitable conversation.

What did all this mean?

There was likely something dark coming up and very soon. And none of them really knew what it would be or when it would hit. Perhaps Morgana was out there lurking, waiting for her chance to attack. Or perhaps there was another war on the horizon.

Whatever it was, Elia wanted just one more night of happiness before they faced the impending darkness. One more night of ignoring it wouldn’t hurt, would it?

~~~

The person watched from a corner of the crowded room, hiding in the shadows as they casually drank. Their dark eyes were fixed on two couples in the middle of the dance floor. One moved around expertly. The other moved a bit slower, the man staring at his feet as the woman grinned up at him, her mouth moving as though she was giving him instructions.

The person frowned. A deep hatred welled up, though it was accompanied by a deep sense of jealousy. It wasn’t fair that they would find each other. Not while they were left all on their own with no one and nothing to help.

When the memories started returning, it was painful. And terrifying. But then once everything had settled, the person knew what had to be done.

Their hands gripped the glass tightly as they started shaking. They had hoped in this new world they would finally get everything they had wanted. That with the Once and Future King and his court all dead and buried that finally it would be their chance to find happiness.

And then they saw the warlock and elf queen. Of course, they would be there. Of course, they would survive this whole time with magic. They had been watching them, following them whenever they were in the city. While it had proved a challenge – the couple had learned a lot about staying hidden in plain sight and off the grid over the long years they had been alive - it was a welcomed one. The person had yet to have such a challenge, even though their work had plenty.

“You won’t stop me this time, Arthur,” the person murmured as a cruel smile filled their face. “I will have my revenge…”

They then turned and walked away, leaving the empty glass on a passing server’s tray.

This was going to be fun.

~~~

Elia crawled into bed later that night, feeling rather worn out, but happy. Merlin was already half asleep. While she had wanted to stay longer, after a few hours, she could tell that Arthur was reaching his limit as to how much of the loud club he could handle. Not to mention, she and Merlin were sure that the newly reunited couple would want some quiet time alone to reconnect. So, they came back home, Merlin and Elia immediately going upstairs to their room, leaving the two settled on the sofa in the den with a nightcap.

“You think Gwen will want to stay here all the time?” Elia asked, settling next to Merlin.

“Mmm, maybe,” he replied, his eyes still closed. “But she will have to go back to work on Monday…”

“Right…” Elia said, her eyes fixated on the photos on the wall. “I keep forgetting that she has this whole other life… Sure it can’t be easy.”

“Likely not,” Merlin murmured. “Go to sleep, Lia.”

Elia frowned slightly. Even though she was tired and her feet were sore, her mind was still whirling. Now that they were in the silence of their room, she couldn’t help as her thoughts wandered towards the future. Now that Arthur was back, everything had changed.

“Lia… I know what you’re thinking… just put it aside until tomorrow,” Merlin said. She looked up at him, her brow furrowed. His eyes were still closed. “There’s nothing we can do about it tonight.”

“I know,” she said. He popped an eye open and looked down at her.

“It’ll be fine,” he said.

“How can you be so sure?” she asked.

“Arthur is back. The elves are coming back. We aren’t in this alone,” he replied.

“Suppose you’re right,” she said.

“Go to sleep. We’ll have plenty of time to worry about it tomorrow,” he said. He sat up slightly and kissed her head.

“Fine,” she said with a sigh, snuggling in. “But first thing tomorrow…”

“Yes, tomorrow…”

~~~

Gwen looked over at Arthur as she sipped from her glass. It was a bit strong, but she felt like she needed it. Now that they were finally alone without Elia or Merlin likely to interrupt them, she couldn’t help as a bit of awkwardness set in. She chided herself. This was her husband. A man that she loved more than anything. But at the same time, it had been so long since she had last seen him.

She had lived an entire life after he died. Raised two children on her own. And then there was the life she lived in this new time - a life as Elizabeth Baxter.

She shifted on the sofa, glancing over at him, wondering just how much he would want to know. She had already told him the basics. About her job and family. But would he want to know about others she had dated or been with? She felt her cheeks heat up slightly. Arthur was from another time - he probably wouldn’t understand the new rules of society. Maybe it was best not to bring any of that up. Thank god she wasn’t currently dating anyone. That would have been even worse and more confusing.

“Do you have to go back to your place tomorrow?” Arthur asked, breaking the silence.

“I suppose. But after we all talk… and I’ll need to go to work. At least on Monday,” she said. “I have loads of vacation time set up… perhaps it’s time I used it. We don’t have any big events or contracts coming up…”

“What would you do?” he asked. Gwen smiled.

“Reconnect,” she said, reaching over and taking his hand. “And do whatever I can to help you, Merlin and Elia… I did manage to rule a country for a long time on my own. I am capable of helping.”

“Of course, you are,” Arthur replied immediately. “Probably more help than I am.” Gwen frowned. “I don’t know anything about this new time or how to get around in it…”

“Arthur, you mustn’t think that way,” she said, leaning closer to him. “You wouldn’t have come back if there wasn’t something you could do. You are needed.” Arthur sighed.

“That’s what Merlin and Elia keep saying,” he said.

“It’s true,” Gwen urged. “Whatever is coming, you are needed to help fight it. And we’ll figure it out… together. The way we did before.” He looked up into her eyes, seeing the resolve there. He was still faltering. Earlier that night, he had begun thinking he could do anything. But now in the quiet of the early morning hours, he couldn’t help as the uneasiness settled back in. It seemed as though it was to be a never-ending struggle.

“Arthur,” Gwen said softly. He nodded and looked away.

“I suppose it will do no good to dwell on such things tonight,” he said before taking a drink.

“It will do no good to dwell on such things at all,” she replied. “We will get through this and then… we can start our lives over. Together. Make a place for ourselves in this new world.” He looked up at her, seeing her hopeful smile on her face. He nodded and offered a weak one in return.

“I like the sound of that,” he said softly. Gwen leaned closer, brushing her lips against his.

“We have all the time in the world…”


	13. So This Is Love

The next day, the group dragged various books and parchments up to the dining room, taking over the large table as they settled into work. Arthur was tasked with reading through the various daily papers that had come in, while Merlin continued going through the elvish books on prophecy and Elia pored over Faeranduil’s journals. Gwen was sat at one of the many laptops in the house, going through the daily news online.

None of them were in any way certain about what they should be looking for, instead hoping they would know it once they found it. Days of having no real direction were starting to wear thin on Arthur. While Elia and Merlin were used to centuries of waiting patiently, the king wanted to know now so that they could act on the threat.

“I still think Morgana may have something to do with this,” Arthur said, putting the paper down and looking up at the group. While it was just after lunch, he had been acting antsy all day, going back and forth between reading and pacing around the room as he brainstormed out loud. Elia raised an eyebrow and looked over at Merlin who sighed and shrugged.

“I suppose anything is possible at this point. You’re back. Gwen’s back,” he said. “Might not be unheard of that she’s returned as well.”

“We should be out there tracking her,” Arthur said sternly.

“We don’t even know where to start,” Elia replied. “Unless you plan to just go… walk around outside in the hopes we’ll run into her.” Arthur started looking slightly contemplative, which only caused Elia to huff. “We’re not doing that… for all we know if she is out there, she probably doesn’t have her memories and our running into her would only awaken them.”

“Well then what do you suggest we do?” Arthur asked, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms in front of him as he frowned at her. “Continue sitting here sifting through old texts and scrolls?” Elia started to open her mouth, but Merlin quickly jumped in, hoping to stave off an argument.

“Perhaps a break is in order. Lia help me get some snacks,” Merlin said, standing and pulling Elia with him into the kitchen. The elf muttered under her breath the entire way in elvish.

“She does that when she doesn’t want me to know what she’s saying,” Arthur replied, watching the two walk off.

“We haven’t even been at this for a full day, Arthur. Of course, we haven’t found anything yet,” Gwen said comfortingly as she placed a hand on his arm. She knew he was frustrated, but he and Elia snipping at each other wouldn’t help move things faster. She was a bit surprised by it, considering the two monarchs had always gotten along before.

“It may be that long for you, but we’ve been searching since I’ve returned about a week ago. And I had hoped that perhaps there would be something in Faeranduil’s journals,” he said with a sigh. “We don’t know how long we have before whatever is coming happens.”

“Wars take awhile to build up. I seriously doubt a battle is going to rise up tomorrow,” she said, returning her attention to the laptop. “This is England, after all…”

“But still-”

“Patience, Arthur. We’re all here for a reason and it’ll show itself in time,” Gwen said, her voice soft yet firm at the same time. “And really, you should listen to Elia.”

“What makes you think I’m not?” Arthur said, frowning slightly. Gwen just chuckled.

“Keep looking through the papers,” she said, returning to her work.

~~~

“Would you lay off?” Merlin said as he and Elia walked into the kitchen. “What is with all this snapping at Arthur? You two always worked well together before.”

“He snapped at me first,” Elia replied, staring up at him. Merlin just maintained eye contact. “Fine… just… I’m just frustrated.”

“We knew this could take a while,” he said. “But there are four of us working on it now.”

“He’s not half wrong in that we should be looking for Morgana,” Elia admitted reluctantly. Merlin gave her a look. “Yes, I know, but I was the first one to think that she could be back. That she really could be out there somewhere planning something. Maybe this comes down to another fight with her. In which case, we’re wasting time cooped up in here searching for some prophecy about it that might not exist.” Merlin sighed.

“Could be. Though I’ll admit neither war nor Morgana sound very pleasant,” he said. “I wish this was just magic coming back.” Elia nodded and started pacing around the kitchen.

“I thought the answers would come more quickly or it would be more obvious when he finally came back, or even after I found the journals,” she said. “But there’s been no mention of these prophecies. All we have is what the dragon and Faeranduil said… wish he’d come back - could certainly use him about now. Or some more details at least.” Merlin snorted slightly.

“You couldn’t stand him,” he replied. Elia rolled her eyes.

“We came to an understanding in the end,” she replied. “He’s not so bad. And he is the one that saw all of this happening in the first place. Me and you. The elves’ return. Arthur’s death and return.”

Merlin walked over and took Elia’s shoulders in his hands, stopping her movement and causing her to look up at him.

“We just need to get back to work,” he said before kissing her forehead. “We’ll figure this out.” Elia nodded.

“Fine,” she said with a sigh.

“Come on, I said we’d get snacks,” Merlin replied, walking over to a cupboard. “Perhaps if you and Arthur eat something, you’ll both be less grumpy.”

“I am not grumpy,” Elia retorted, causing Merlin to chuckle.

“Cut up some fruit, would you?” he said. Elia stared at his back a moment before huffing again and moving towards the fridge. “Seriously, Lia. We’ll figure this out.” She sighed and smiled slightly.

“I know.”

~~~

A few hours later, Elia and Arthur were back to snapping at each other, causing Merlin and Gwen to share more than one exasperated look. It seemed Arthur wanted to do more than sit and read, while Elia was desperate to find something in the many books of prophecy, despite her earlier admission that she sort of agreed that they should be doing more than reading. Merlin had just dragged Elia back into the kitchen for a third time while Gwen was calming Arthur down in the dining room.

“Seriously, Lia?” Merlin said. She just frowned at him. “What has gotten into you today? You’re not normally this testy.”

“I don’t know, I just feel… anxious,” she said as she walked over and looked out the window. “Like something is coming...”

“Well, we know that something is coming,” he said. Elia shot a glare at him over her shoulder.

“I know, smartass, but… this is different. It feels… I don’t know… It’s like being out in the woods hunting and sensing something large and menacing is nearby, but you can’t see it. Maybe hear it or smell it, but no matter how hard you try, you just can’t see it,” she said.

“You don’t think this might have something to do with the elves? Maybe they’re nearby?” Merlin said. “Could you be sensing them?” Elia shook her head.

“No, it’s not that. This is more foreboding,” she said bluntly.

“Have you seen anything?” he asked, stepping towards her. Elia usually shared any visions she had with him right away, but she hadn’t mentioned anything in the last couple of months. He was honestly surprised that she hadn’t seen Arthur’s return or Gwen’s. While unpredictable in their timing, they usually came for major events.

“No… nothing,” she replied, frowning. “Which worries me… you’d think I’d of seen something about this…”

“Is that what this is really about?” Merlin asked softly, walking up behind her. “You haven’t seen any visions…” Elia sighed.

“Part of it,” she said. “We never could control them, but I always had them when we needed them. Seems like this would be a good time to have a vision and yet… nothing. It’s been months. I didn’t even see Arthur coming back.”

“I’m sure they aren’t gone forever,” Merlin said soothingly as he rubbed her back. Elia didn’t reply as she just chewed on her bottom lip. “Perhaps you’re just pushing yourself a bit too much. We have had a lot of excitement lately.”

She just sighed and continued looking out the window.

“Maybe we should take the night off,” Merlin said.

“We’ve been out the last two nights in a row. The last thing we need is another night off,” she scoffed.

“Obviously working hasn’t been going well. I’m worried you might end up killing Arthur by night’s end,” Merlin replied with a laugh. Elia just glared at him. “And to be honest, I feel like Gwen and Arthur could use a night to themselves. Without us around. Perhaps a break from each other is just what we need to clear our heads.”

Elia’s glare softened as she thought it over. The two hadn’t really been alone since Arthur returned - at least not alone-alone. She and Merlin were always in the house with them. And perhaps the royal couple would like the evening and night together without Elia and Merlin hovering about. But at the same time, she still felt a sense of urgency.

“Really, Merlin? I know that last night was my idea, but are you sure? Taking another night off? We don’t know how much time we have,” she said.

“I’m sure that war is not going to break out overnight,” Merlin said, turning her to face him. “And even in the middle of all this, you are still my wife. Aren’t I allowed to have a night out with my wife?”

Elia rolled her eyes and huffed, though a small smile had appeared.

“Fine,” she said. “What did you have in mind?”

~~~

“Ehm… so who’s idea was this again?” Arthur asked, staring at the food that Gwen had spread out along the counters in the kitchen. She had taken him out to the shops with her as soon as the idea was broached about the two having the evening and night to themselves, gently explaining the finer intricacies of grocery shopping while Elia and Merlin packed and got ready. They were gone by the time the two had returned to the townhouse.

“Merlin’s, I believe. But cooking was mine,” she said. Arthur just looked over at her, causing her to chuckle. “You need to learn at some point.” Arthur cast a worried look towards all the contraptions that filled the kitchen. “Don’t look so nervous.”

“I’m not nervous. I’ve fought all sorts of foes, I’m sure I can handle a modern kitchen,” he said sternly. Gwen just chuckled.

“You can start with cleaning the vegetables,” she said. “Then we’ll get started with the chopping and such.”

Arthur walked over to the sink and dropped a load of vegetables in, then turned the water on. He stared at them a moment, his head to the side before reaching over and picking up a sponge and a bottle of soap.

“Arthur, no!” Gwen shouted, chuckling as she walked over and took the sponge and soap away. “You just need to run them under the water.” Arthur watched as she took an onion from him and started running it under the water, her fingers deftly cleaning it. She then placed it on the counter and glanced up at him.

Arthur reached for another vegetable and started cleaning it, following her movements.

“See? Not so difficult,” she said, smiling at him.

“It’s just cleaning vegetables,” he said, glancing at her.

“Don’t worry. There are more difficult things ahead,” she said.

Once everything was prepped and Gwen got Arthur settled into chopping, she turned to the stove, checking to see if the water was boiling yet. She then poured in some pasta and turned to watch Arthur. He was working slowly, but surely.

“Not bad for your first time cooking,” she said, watching him. He glanced at her and back down at the vegetables.

“Like you said, it’s about time I started to learn,” he said. “At least this comes a bit easier than other things.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“History,” he muttered. Gwen chuckled.

“Elia said earlier that they’ve had you watch loads of documentaries and took you to a museum,” she said.

“Tower of London,” Arthur said.

“Perhaps later this week I can take you around to a few more,” Gwen said. “I can take a day off or we can go next weekend.” Arthur glanced at her.

“You can take a day off?” he asked.

“Yea, when you’re not running a kingdom, you’re allowed those every so often. And it’s probably a good thing that I haven’t taken much time off for a long time. Got a fair amount of holiday time saved up,” she said. “So, I can help with the teaching stuff.”

“I’d appreciate it,” he said.

The two settled into a comfortable silence as they worked, though Arthur continued to look over at Gwen. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight, afraid she might disappear again.

“Gwen… tell me more about Arturos and Ariana,” he said finally, wanting to hear more about his children from her. She smiled softly as she started to put vegetables into a pan and sauté them.

“They were a handful at times. Especially when they were younger, always running off and such. But thankfully I had a lot of help with them. With Elia and Merlin, plus the knights,” she said, her voice taking on a far-off tone. “I think Ariana was more like you. She was quite put out when she discovered that Arturos was next in line for the throne. Thought that because I was queen, that meant someday she would be queen.”

“But she did become a queen, eventually,” Arthur said. “What sort of man was her husband?” Gwen chuckled, recognizing the protective tone in his voice.

“Charles was a good man,” Gwen said. “He ruled in a kingdom on the continent as the five kingdoms were united after your… after you went away. I believe part of the reason he fell in love with her was because of her ability to rule and her independence. They were happy together.”

“And Arturos?” Arthur said.

“Married a lovely noble woman. Pretty sure that was love at first sight. He had been falling over himself to impress her since they were children,” she said. Arthur nodded as he stopped chopping, his thoughts going to the two children he would never meet. Gwen looked over at him, sensing his sadness. She then stepped over and wrapped her arms around him. “Maybe someday we’ll get to see them again.”

“You think?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

“I never thought I would get to see you again,” she said. “And here we are.” Arthur nodded, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her head.

“At least we have each other. That’s… that’s enough,” he said, gazing down at her.

“For now.”

~~~

Elia sat down at the table and looked around the restaurant before picking up a menu and glancing over at Merlin. It was one of their favorite places in the city and she was happy to be out for the night alone with him. While she was happy for Arthur and Gwen to return, it had turned their life a bit mad lately.

Prior to their arrival, they had checked into their favorite hotel - the Chesterfield. Though it was only for one night, Elia couldn’t help but feel as though they were on a mini vacation. In a way, she supposed they were. Tomorrow they would have to return to their work.

“So, what do you have planned tonight?” she asked, browsing through the menu.

“The usual… dinner, drinks. Perhaps a walk around London?” he said, smiling at her. Elia chuckled.

“Certainly know the way to my heart,” she replied. “Perhaps we should just head straight back to the room after dinner.” She gave him a small smirk, causing him to smile again.

“We can do whatever it is you want,” he replied as a server walked up. They gave their orders and then waited for the bottle of wine to arrive. “How do you think Arthur and Gwen are faring?”

“If we come home and the house is still there, I’ll consider it a good night,” Elia replied, reaching for her water glass. “Though I suppose I shouldn’t worry with Gwen at the helm.”

“Again, I highly doubt Arthur could manage to burn down the entire house. Maybe the kitchen, but certainly not the house,” he said.

“The kitchen is due for a remodel,” Elia joked as their wine arrived. After taking a drink, she sat back in her chair, closing her eyes briefly.

“You’re ready to go back to the country house, aren’t you,” Merlin said, studying her. She opened her eyes and nodded.

“But I feel like we’re meant to stay a bit longer. That there’s something more for us to discover here,” she said.

“Besides Gwen and the journals?” Merlin asked. Elia nodded as she looked around the restaurant again, almost as if she hoped an answer would be lurking there somewhere.

“I don’t know what it is, though,” she murmured, her brow furrowed. Merlin reached across the table and took her hand.

“Whatever it is, we can worry about it tomorrow,” he said softly. “Tonight is just about you and I.” Elia smiled as he lifted her hand to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers.

“I was thinking,” she said, glancing up at the server and waiting to finish her statement until after he had delivered their salad courses and walked away. “Now that this is all happening… perhaps we can start thinking about… what comes next.” Merlin’s eyes widened.

“You mean… after we defeat whatever evil is coming?” he asked softly. Elia smiled slightly and nodded.

“There’s no harm in thinking,” she said, reaching for her wine.

“And just what were you thinking?” Merlin asked, not wanting to get his hopes up. “Another trip around the world? New career?”

“I was thinking… about perhaps expanding our little family,” she said cautiously.

“A dog?”

Elia laughed, tossing her head back slightly.

“Going to make me say outright, aren’t you?” she replied. “A baby.”

Merlin’s face lit up. Finally. He had only wanted to start a family since they got married the first time. And it seemed that Elia was finally coming around to it. Though in her defense, it wasn’t as though she never wanted one - just wanted to wait for the right time.

“But not yet. We’re still in the middle of whatever this is,” she continued, taking a bite of her salad.

“The fact that you’re even talking about it is enough for me,” Merlin replied. Elia shrugged.

“Seeing Arthur and Gwen back together and… hearing her tell him about their children. Remembering Arturos and Ariana, well… got me thinking that perhaps we were missing something in our lives,” she said, her gaze fixed on her food. “And the idea of having a couple children doesn’t seem so bad now…”

“A couple? I was hoping for a dozen,” Merlin joked, causing Elia to look up at him. “Or at least half a dozen.” She chuckled.

“Let’s start with one or two and see how things go from there,” she said.

“We’re immortal. Surely, we can have more than that,” Merlin replied as she continued laughing.

“I do not want to spend the next 100 years pregnant,” she retorted. Merlin smiled as he reached over and took her hand again.

“One or a dozen, I don’t care,” he said softly. “Just so long as they’re ours.” Elia sighed as she leaned closer to him.

“I love you, Merlin,” she said softly.

“I love you, too.”


	14. At Last I See the Knight(s)

The next weekend, the two couples made their way down the sidewalk towards home after a movie. Night had settled in, though the streets were anything but empty, with many people milling around outside the various pubs, taking in the warm, summer night.

After a long week of working and searching (and still finding nothing in regards to Morgana or impending danger) Elia, Merlin and Gwen thought it time to introduce Arthur to the cinema. And to be honest, they all needed another night off. He had taken to watching movies and documentaries, with Gwen patiently answering all his questions when she came by after work. She had practically moved in with them, not wanting to spend even a night away from Arthur. She had also invented a grave family illness so that she could take indefinite leave from work starting that weekend. But watching movies on the television did not prepare him for the splendor that was going to the movie theater for the first time.

“I still can’t understand how they make it so big,” he said as Gwen chuckled from his arm. “Giants exist, then?”

“Ehm, no. Those aren’t giants. Just… the screen is rather large so they look that way,” Merlin said, smiling at him. Elia chuckled as well as she popped a bit of licorice in her mouth.

“He might enjoy the West End while we’re here,” Elia said, looking up at him. “We can get some box seats.”

“You’ve got box seats? Please, can we go?” Gwen begged, looking over at her. Elia winked.

“‘Course. Nothing like a good night out at the theatre,” she said, grinning.

They continued chatting about the movie, with Elia, Merlin and Gwen all taking turns answering the never-ending stream of questions from Arthur as they continued on - and telling him numerous times that no, superheroes were not actually real and Merlin could not make a person fly. While at times Arthur still seemed hesitant about the idea of magic, he was starting to come around to the wonder of it. Though more often than not, he marveled at something that was technology rather than magic.

As they neared the entrance to another pub, Elia couldn’t help but go silent as she felt a niggle of something in the back of her mind. She stopped suddenly, looking over at the door.

“What is it?” Merlin asked, looking down at her and then over at the pub entrance.

“I… don’t know,” she said. “Just… got a feeling all of a sudden.”

“What sort of feeling?” Gwen asked, stepping over to her.

“Like… something I’m supposed to see… is here,” she said.

“Are you sure that’s not your mind wanting a drink?” Arthur asked. Elia shook her head, too focused on the feeling to get annoyed with him. It felt like there was a soft buzzing in her head. She took a step towards the door and it got a bit louder.

“I feel it too,” Merlin said, now staring at the door as well. It wasn’t all that different from the day Arthur returned.

“What could it mean?” Arthur asked.

“I don’t know, but I feel like we’re meant to go inside,” Merlin said, starting towards the door.

Before he could reach it, the door burst open and three men tumbled outside, with one falling onto the sidewalk. Merlin barely had time to pull Elia out of the way before they went careening passed them.

“For the last time, Ian, don’t come back here!” a large, disgruntled man shouted down at the man on the ground. He rolled over and started laughing.

“Ah, but then you’d be out of entertainment,” he replied as the other man held his hand out and helped him up. The two couples were frozen in place as he shook his head slightly and looked back over at the third man, who was presumably the owner of the establishment.

“No, I would finally have a bit of peace and no broken bottles,” the man shouted. “Stay away.” He then turned on his heels and strode back into the bar.

“Wonder what’s got his knickers in a twist,” Ian said, brushing dust off his trousers, his curly hair falling into his face.

“Pretty sure it’s you, mate,” the other man said. He was much taller and broader, though he looked down at his friend with clear annoyance on his face. “Do you seriously have to get into a fight every night? We’re banned from nearly every pub in the neighborhood!”

“Then suppose we can start on the next neighborhood, Michael,” Ian said with a grin. He then noticed the four people standing frozen nearby watching them. “Ehm… can I help you?”

Merlin was the first to move, quickly smiling.

“Sorry, just… gave us a bit of a scare is all. Though no harm was done,” he said. He then elbowed Arthur in the ribs, trying to get him to shut his mouth that had fallen open. Ian nodded as he studied the group, suddenly frowning slightly.

“Do I know you? You seem a bit familiar,” he said. “Have we met before?”

“Ehm, yes. I think,” Elia said, though wondering just where she was to go from there. “I mean… I think we’ve met before.” Ian continued to study them before clapping his hands together and grinning.

“Rupert’s wedding. That was it, wasn’t it,” he said. His eyes fell on Elia. “We shagged in a closet, didn’t we?” Her eyes widened as she blushed slightly and Merlin frowned.

“I should think not. This is my wife,” he said sternly, temporarily forgetting who the man bore a strong resemblance to. Ian smiled and put his hands up.

“Apologies. My mistake,” he said, though he winked at Elia. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ll be off then.” He started to turn, though Elia stepped towards them.

“Maybe you two would like to join us? We were just off to get a drink,” she said quickly, not wanting to let them walk off just yet. Ian looked down at her, an amused smile on his face as he glanced over at Merlin. He found it odd, but his sense of adventure was calling for him to join them. They looked rather harmless to him.

“I mean… we obviously know each other from somewhere,” she continued. “I’m curious to figure out where…”

“Suppose there’s no harm in that,” he said. “Only managed to get a few drinks in at this place.”

“Ian, we should be getting back home. And you’ve had enough to drink tonight,” Michael said. “Maybe another night…”

“What’s the harm in a couple more drinks?” Elia asked quickly, nearly shouting at the two. They shared a look, with Michael clearly saying with his eyes that this was a bad idea and not to do what Ian was clearly thinking. Ian just grinned.

“Lead the way,” he said, starting to walk with Elia. Michael rolled his eyes and moved to follow.

“There’s a place just up here a ways,” she said.

“What’s the name? Need to make sure we’re not banned from it,” Michael said.

“Perhaps we should just head to ours then?” Elia offered, glancing back at them. “It’s nearby.”

“Lead the way,” Ian said boisterously as Michael rolled his eyes.

“What are you doing?” Merlin hissed in her ear as Ian and Michael struck up a conversation with Gwen and a still stunned Arthur.

“Well… figure if we can get them back to our place, you can do the spell,” she whispered back.

“Elia, they’re going to think we’re mad or serial killers,” he whispered back. “Or a cult.”

“They won’t,” Elia said. Michael kept glancing at them, an odd look on his face. “Seems Percival is already starting to get some of his memories back.”

“Or he thinks he’s about to get murdered,” Merlin said. Elia elbowed him in the side.

“At least Gwaine was easy enough to convince,” she shot back.

“Pretty sure Gwaine is drunk,” Merlin said as the man in question stumbled a bit.

“It’ll be fine,” Elia said. Merlin just rolled his eyes.

“I hope you’re right…”

~~~

Truth be told, Elia hadn’t thought farther than getting them to the house. But now that Gwaine and Percival were seated in the back garden with Arthur and Gwen, she wasn’t sure what to do next. She studied them from the kitchen window while Merlin moved around the kitchen, gathering drinks.

“We can’t just tell them,” he said. “There’s no way they’ll believe us. And you remember how long it took for Gwen’s memories to start surfacing. Percival’s already suspicious of us.”

“I know,” Elia said, tapping her finger against her bottom lip. “But we’ve got to do something… you think we could slip the potion in their drinks?”

“I don’t think it works that way,” Merlin said with a sigh. “Besides, are we absolutely sure it’s them?”

“They are the spitting image of Gwaine and Percival,” Elia said, turning to him and planting her hands on her hips. “And that was perfect Gwaine - getting kicked out of a pub in front of us.” Merlin sighed and shook his head.

“I admit, that was very much like him,” he said. “But still… we can’t just force them to take a potion. Not until we’re sure. You remember the side effects if they aren’t them.” Elia nodded.

“Fine. Let’s just… dunno, see if anything pops up tonight,” she said, moving to help Merlin with the drinks. They went out to the back as Gwaine laughed loudly. Percival was silent, watching the couple cautiously.

“What’d we miss?” Elia asked as she started passing around bottles of beer.

“Gw- Ian was just entertaining us,” Gwen said, gratefully accepting the beer and taking a generous gulp.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” Gwaine said, looking at Arthur. His eyes widened as he looked over at Merlin and Elia for help. “Why do I get the feeling that you usually talk more?” Elia glanced at Merlin and smiled as she sat next to Percival.

“Usually he does,” she answered. Gwaine turned to look at her, a funny look coming over his face.

“Didn’t your hair used to be longer?” he asked. Elia’s grin widened.

“Look, this has been… fun, but I really think we should get going,” Percival said, starting to stand.

“Sit down, Michael,” Gwaine said good-naturedly. “We just got here.”

“Yea, and we’re at a perfect stranger’s house,” Percival replied. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Merlin said, giving Elia a look. Percival reached for his beer and then stopped, his eyes widening as he froze for a moment. Elia felt her heart leap as she studied him. It was obvious that he had remembered something. He looked over at Merlin and Elia, then over at Arthur and Gwen. He then returned to looking at Elia and Merlin.

“Your name… why do I feel like it’s Merlin?” he asked. Elia grinned as she sat up in her chair and looked at Merlin.

“Because it is,” she said.

“What kind of name is Merlin?” Gwaine asked, laughing. “Let me guess - your parents were Arthurian scholars.”

“It’s just... my name,” Merlin replied. Gwaine continued chuckling.

“We have met before, haven’t we?” Percival continued, intently studying Elia. “I mean, Ian meets folks all the time when he’s drunk, but… I would remember meeting you… I’m not sure why I’m struggling with it.” Elia took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

“That’s because we have met. Though it was a long time ago. In another life,” she started.

“That makes no sense,” Gwaine said.

“It’s true,” Elia continued. “You see… there’s no way around this but, I’m Elia, Queen of The Willows. And this is Merlin, _the_ Merlin. That’s King Arthur and Queen Guinevere.” Percival continued to gape at her as Gwaine laughed harder.

“Let me guess, that makes us Lancelot and Galahad,” he replied.

“Close. You’re Gwaine and you’re Percival,” Elia said. “King Arthur’s knights. Or at least, you’re reincarnations of them.” Gwaine stared at her a moment, blinking. He then started laughing again.

“Christ, I must be drunk,” he said. “This is entertaining, though…” He then realized that Percival was still quiet, staring at Elia. “What is it, Michael?”

“I was at your wedding,” he said softly. “You got married in a garden.” Elia grinned as she glanced over at Merlin.

“He’s remembering,” she said excitedly. Gwaine studied Percival a bit and then looked over at Elia.

“I don’t remember this wedding,” he said.

“You weren’t there,” Elia said, though stopped herself before she said anything more. She didn’t think it smart to mention that he had died before the nuptials took place.

“How do I know these things?” Percival asked. “It’s… all of a sudden, I’m remembering things… things I shouldn’t…”

“Think you’ve watched one too many movies, mate,” Gwaine said before taking another drink of his beer. Percival then looked over at him, a look of horror and sadness coming over his face. Elia held her breath, knowing what he was remembering.

“What is it?” Gwen asked softly.

“He was there when… he’s remembering… that,” Elia said. Gwen’s eyes widened as she looked back at the two knights.

“Okay, this has been fun, but I think it’s time we left,” Gwaine said, starting to stand. Elia quickly jumped and moved over to him, sitting him back down. “You’re rather strong for a spritely thing.”

“You know how strong I am,” she replied. “It’s the truth. All of it. The great dragon said that Arthur would return when Albion’s need was greatest and tasked myself and Merlin with waiting and preparing for his return. He’s back and so is Gwen. Now it seems that you two have returned to help as well.”

Gwaine blinked as he stared up at her, her words not quite registering.

“And I thought I was the drunk one,” he finally said before grinning. “You are clearly more drunk than I am. Or high… not sure which it is.” Elia sighed, and rolled her eyes.

“I think… I think they’re telling the truth,” Percival said. Gwaine looked over at him, his eyes widening.

“You can’t possibly buy into this, this… bollocks,” he said, finally turning serious. Percival looked up at Elia and then over at Arthur.

“I… I feel like we were all great friends at one point,” he said.

“We were,” Arthur finally said, his voice thick with emotion. “You were some of my best friends.”

“There is a spell we can do,” Elia said. “It would bring back all of your memories from before.” Gwaine looked up at her, still not believing her.

“Christ, you’re not one of those wiccans, are you?” he asked.

“No, I’m an elf,” Elia said, glaring down at him.

“Then why are your ears not pointy?” Gwaine replied, motioning to his own ears. Elia glanced over at Merlin, who muttered something under his breath, his eyes flashing. Elia’s ears grew, causing Gwaine to curse as he scooted back from her suddenly, managing to topple out of it. Percival took the change in a much calmer manner.

“You’re… a queen?” he said, frowning as though he were struggling to grasp onto the memories

“Yes, I already said that,” she said, turning her attention back to Gwaine, who was still on the ground. “And you _are_ Gwaine, a knight of the round table.”

“No, I’m Ian. And I work at the docks,” he said.

“You are Gwaine and you’re a bloody knight!” Elia said, stomping her foot.

“Elia, I think he’s had enough for tonight,” Merlin said, standing up to pull her back. As Gwaine watched the two of them, it was as though something dawned on him. He pushed himself up from the ground and watched as Merlin led a frowning Elia over to her chair.

“You two… you were sneaking around. I caught you,” he said, seeming surprised at the words coming from his mouth. Elia and Merlin paused, looking over at him. “I was supposed to keep it from…” he looked over, meeting Arthur’s eyes. “You. You couldn’t find out for some reason.”

“Don’t remind me,” Arthur replied, frowning at Merlin and Elia.

“We weren’t going to keep it from you forever,” Elia said, rolling her eyes again. Gwen started smiling in amusement.

“And you… why do I remember us running away from some blokes at a pub?” Gwaine said, looking at Merlin.

“Because it happened more than once,” Merlin said. Gwaine sat back down and began rubbing his face.

“This makes no sense. None of it,” he said.

“Don’t you want to know more?” Elia asked, taking a cautious step towards the two. “Don’t you want all your memories back?” Percival looked over, meeting Gwaine’s eyes.

“It couldn’t hurt,” he said.

“I can’t believe you’re buying all this… magic potion shite,” Gwaine said. Percival sighed.

“But you have to admit that it makes some sense,” he said. “Why are we suddenly remembering all these random things?”

“Probably because they’ve drugged us and we’re hallucinating,” Gwaine said. “Next they’re going to kill us for some sort of sacrifice or spell.”

“We haven’t,” Elia said. “And, god. No.” Gwaine looked over at her and then back at Percival, who seemed to be pleading with his eyes for them to go with it. He finally sighed and sat up.

“Fine. We’ll take this… potion,” he said. Elia grinned as she turned to Merlin. He walked back inside, running down to the basement where he kept extra stocked, just in case of this very reason. Gwen and Arthur stood with Gwen gazing up at him hopefully.

“It won’t hurt, though you’ll likely be a bit disoriented for a bit,” Elia explained.

“Will we forget who we are?” Percival asked.

“No. You’ll keep all your memories as you are now. Just the old ones will come back as well,” she replied. Merlin rushed back up, two small bottles in his hand. He handed them to Gwaine and Percival. The two knights stared at them for a moment before glancing at each other.

“Bottoms up,” Gwaine said with a small smile as he pulled the stopper out and downed his. Percival followed as they both looked over at Elia and Merlin. Quickly, Merlin performed the spell as the other three watched on.

After a few moments, Gwaine fell over, the two of them breathing heavily.

“How do you feel?” Elia asked cautiously.

“Like I’m hungover,” Gwaine said, his eyes screwed shut. Percival looked around the group, a smile starting to appear. He then launched out of the chair and took Arthur in a bear hug.

“You’re alive!” he exclaimed. Elia smiled as she wrapped an arm around Merlin’s waist. Percival then let go and looked to Gwen, hugging her next. Elia glanced over, seeing Gwaine looking up at them. He blinked, his eyes seeming to fill with tears as he gazed around the group. He had not had a quiet, easy death while he was old and gray. Not like Percival and Gwen.

“Am I really here?” he asked softly, looking over at Merlin and Elia. Elia smiled as she felt a couple tears slip down her cheek. “Is this… really another chance?”

“It is,” Merlin said. Gwaine then pushed up out of his chair and walked over as Merlin hugged him, letting go of Elia in the process. “This is… I don’t know what this…”

“How about, welcome back,” Elia said, grinning up at him. Gwaine couldn’t help but smile as he turned to hug her.

After the hugs and such had gone around, they settled back at the table after the knights started feeling a bit lightheaded again. Elia had quickly gone in to grab them some water and aspirin as they calmly filled them in on what they had been up to the previous 20-something years. They had both had relatively normal, quiet lives, it seemed, working at the docks together. They were only children and neither were particularly close to their families, spending most of their free time together. Elia couldn’t help but feel grateful that they had at least found each other.

“So why are we all back?” Gwaine finally asked some time later, returning to sipping at his beer.

“Well… I think it’s because Arthur’s back,” Merlin said, glancing over at him.

“Any idea why Arthur’s back?” Gwaine then asked.

“We’re still working on that,” Elia replied.

“Is Morgana here?” Percival asked. “I assume she’s behind this.” The group looked at each other.

“We don’t know,” Merlin said. “If she’s back, we haven't come across her yet.” The two knights nodded.

“Well, whatever it is, we are here to offer our help,” Gwaine said, grinning.

“And we’re glad for it,” Arthur said, now smiling broadly. The group continued talking, reminiscing and such. Elia sighed as she leaned her head on Merlin’s shoulder.

“I think it’s finally coming together,” she said softly.

“That it is.”


	15. I've Got No Magic

“Hey there, gorgeous!” a man shouted, coming towards the woman. She glared at him, clearly sending the message to leave her alone. “What’s this? Why don’t you smile for me, love?” She quickly sidestepped him, though stuck her foot out so that he tripped, falling to the ground in his inebriated state. He continued yelling at her, though she paid him no mind as she kept her eyes focused on the group of people just in front of her. She was close, but not close enough that they would notice her.

Following them seemed to be the only thing she could do, slightly perturbed that recently they rarely left the house except to go shopping. And she still couldn’t seem to break through the high-end security system that Elia and Merlin had installed, though she had tried several times. She had thought it lucky when she noticed them all leave the house, only to be disappointed that they were only going to the cinema.

All of this work, and Morgana was getting nowhere.

What’s more, they had found two of the knights. They didn’t seem to remember anything, but if Gwen was anything to go by, they soon would. Though Morgana did not know how that had happened.

She stepped behind a light pole, watching as the six entered the townhouse across the street, silently debating if she should stay or not. She wasn’t sure if or when the knights would leave and to be honest, she wasn’t prepared to take the both of them at once nor what she would do after she had them. That would require planning. So instead, she turned and started down the sidewalk, going a bit of a ways before hailing a cab and giving her address.

All too soon, she was arriving at her building, quickly going up to the 10th floor and unlocking her flat. She flipped on the lights, grumbling to herself that this would be much easier if she still had her magic.

She went to the stark and pristine kitchen, pouring herself a glass of wine before settling in front of her laptop at the dining room table. Flipping through a few things, she settled on the file she had been building up of Merlin and Elia over the past year. She had to admit that she was proud of what all she had gleaned considering how difficult the two made it for her.

Morgana had been out at the market one day, when she turned a corner and suddenly found herself standing in a cave or tunnel of sorts. She watched as she held her hand out and shouted words she had never heard before, watching as a man was then propelled into the wall. Just as suddenly, she was back in the store, shaking as she stared down the aisle. She looked around wondering what had brought on the hallucination, her eyes settling on a young couple nearby who were arguing over fish. She crept closer to them, eager to know why it was that she felt drawn to them.

“Seriously, Lia,” the man had said, though the corners of his mouth were turned up into a smile. It was the man from the vision.

“Trust me, you’ll like it,” the woman had replied. “Besides it’s been ages since we tried a new recipe.” They then moved off, leaving Morgana standing there with the oddest sensation that she knew them. Of course, she hadn’t been Morgana at the time. The recollection of her true name came later. Back then, she was simply and plainly Sarah, an analyst for a government organization.

As the memories came back over the months, she started putting her modern skills to good use, long having a knack for gathering and extracting information. This had come in handy as she began tracking the couple - at the time they had been going by the names Richard and Ellie. But as more of her memories returned, she then realized their true names were Merlin and Elia. And that they had been alive this whole time. But while she was good, they had centuries of hiding and evading notice. But it mattered not to her, she always got whatever it was she was after. Beyond finding more about them, she wouldn’t stop until she found a way to get her magic back so that she could move forward with bigger plans.

She could do nothing until she got it back.

She then clicked open another folder, going through the recent photos she had taken while on surveillance. Gwen and Arthur smiling at each other. Her heart constricted as she looked through them, finding it infinitely unfair that they would find each other in this life and she was alone. As soon as the rest of her memories had settled in, she had begun searching for Mordred or her sister Morgause. But so far it had been in vain. If they existed in this time, she had yet to find any trace of them. She wasn’t even sure where exactly to look, considering that they, like her, would likely have no memories of their past and go by different names.

Angrily, she slammed the laptop shut and sat back in her chair, glaring at it.

“I will get my magic back,” she muttered to the empty flat. And she knew that she would. While she had hoped that by watching Merlin and Elia she might find a way, she had also spent the last few months searching out others with magic. While she had none herself, she could still sense it in others and was using this to try and find others. So far, she had yet to come across many druids, and even then, most had a dismal amount - not nearly enough to help her in any way. But she felt there must be some out there. And she would find them and somehow convince them to help her.

She looked over at an open paper sitting on the table, a small advertisement for a psychic shop circled next to several others that were crossed out. She had already made an appointment and hoped that this one wouldn’t be yet another fake. There were also a few groups of so-called wiccans that she had been attending as well, in the hopes she would eventually come across someone. So far, she had found a few others with marginally stronger magic, but was taking the time to befriend them before making any sort of proposition.

Sighing, Morgana stood and walked over to the large window that overlooked the street, her glass of wine in hand. She looked out across the city, for a moment overtaken by how much things had changed. She wondered if Arthur was happy now to see his father’s dream come true. Many places that were once strong cores of magic had died and disappeared. People no longer believed that it was even real. Nowadays everyone relied on science and technology for the most menial of tasks. She doubted that they would even react in fear at seeing true magic - they’d probably applaud and shout for more. Morgana snorted at the thought. 

She would change that. She had to.

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, calming the rage that was beginning to well up within her. All those years ago, she had been close to taking what was rightfully hers. There were times over the last few months that she felt it would be impossible to do that now - government had gotten a lot more complicated. Back then, it took some bartering and negotiating with a nearby kingdom or army that hated the Pendragons as much as she did. Nowadays, it was much harder to launch a war. For a time, she hadn’t even entertained the thought of attempting to retake control of the throne.

But then she started putting together a plan. It would take time, but it wasn’t impossible. However, it did hinge on her getting control of her magic again.

Taking another drink of her wine, she turned and walked back to the table, sitting and then reopening the laptop.

It was time to get back to work.

~~~

_Gwaine and Percival laughed loudly from where they were seated on the sofa. Elia looked around the room, seeing everyone there. Arthur was seated in an armchair with Gwen perched next to him. She knew this feeling. This was no dream. She was in the midst of a vision. Her first in months._

_There was buzzing in her head, causing her to look to the door. Something was coming._

_“Elia?”_

_She ignored Merlin as she walked towards the door, her hand out._

_“Elia!”_

_The door opened and she stepped out into the night air, looking towards Avalon._

_“I hear you,” she murmured as she gazed into the distance. A smile came across her face as four figures materialized from the trees, making their way towards her. She knew those figures. Even in the dark and from a distance, she knew exactly who they were._

_She took off at a sprint, but before she could get close enough to see their faces, smoke began swirling around her, pulling her out._

~~~

Elia shot up in bed, breathing heavily as a smile came across her face.

“What is it?” Merlin mumbled, sitting up next to her, sleep still clinging to him. Elia turned to face him, tears of joy beginning to fill her eyes.

“I’ve had a vision,” she said softly. Merlin rubbed his eyes and then focused on her, taking in her happy countenance.

“A good one, I take it,” he replied. Elia nodded as she threw her arms around him.

“They are coming. The elves,” she whispered.

“When?” Merlin asked. Elia sat back and looked at him.

“I don’t know. But soon,” she said. “We should go back to the country house. That’s where we are when they arrive. And Percival and Gwaine were with us.” Merlin nodded.

“Alright, suppose we can tell the others tomorrow,” he replied. Elia grinned again as she kissed him.

“They’re coming,” she said again. Merlin couldn’t help but smile at her. “Thank god, they’re coming.” He laid back down, pulling Elia with him as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Do you think we’ll find others?” he asked softly.

“I don’t know. I hope so. Imagine if they all came back,” Elia replied, smiling. Of course, her thoughts turned to who else could be back.

“Don’t do it, Lia,” Merlin warned.

“Do what?” she asked.

“You’re worrying,” he replied.

“But I can’t help it. Morgana could very well be out there. Or Mordred,” she said, frowning as she looked up at him. Merlin sighed and kissed her forehead.

“Let’s cross that bridge when we get there. For now, let’s just be happy that the elves are finally returning,” he said. Elia nodded and snuggled closer to him. She couldn’t help the smile that came over her face.

“They’re coming home,” she thought blissfully as she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

~~~

“We’re going where?” Gwaine asked the next morning as the group sat around eating breakfast in the garden. Elia glanced at Merlin.

“To our country house. It’s near Avalon and The Willows,” she said. Gwaine and Percival’s eyes widened.

“The Willows still exists?” Percival asked.

“Yes, though not how you remember it,” Elia replied. “It’s fallen into disrepair, but we’ve managed to keep it hidden from the outside world. I had a vision last night. We need to go back to the country house because that’s where the elves are coming.”

“So soon?” Arthur asked.

“Yes. Maybe,” Elia replied. “It’s not like I got a date stamp. But it was clear. We were all there together. Besides, we should probably check on the great willow anyway and return some of the books that we don’t need to the archives and get others.” Arthur nodded slowly as he looked over at Gwen and then at the knights.

“Are you two able to join us?” Merlin asked. After regaining their memories, the group had stayed up until late in the night reminiscing and the two had crashed in some of the other guest rooms. While they had been lucky that Gwen was able to take an indefinite leave from work, he wasn’t sure how easy it would be for the two.

Gwaine glanced at Percival and then back at Merlin, grinning.

“To be honest, I don’t really fancy being a dock worker,” he said breezily. “Been meaning to make a career change.” Percival just rolled his eyes.

“We can send word to our foreman while we’re packing,” he said, smiling. Elia couldn’t help but grin. “Are you sure you have room for all of us?” Arthur snorted.

“You think this place is big, you should see the country house,” he replied.

“We do have a guest cottage as well as several guest rooms,” Elia said. “Just… got a feeling over the years that we might need the space.”

“Then it’s settled. How soon do we leave?” Gwaine asked.

“As soon as we can get packed,” Merlin replied. “Do you have a car?”

“I do,” Percival said. “Gwaine and I’ll take mine and follow you.”

“Perfect,” Elia replied. She sighed happily as she picked up a piece of bacon and began eating.

“So, you still get visions? And Merlin’s got magic,” Gwaine said, still seeming to be coming to terms with everything he had learned the night before. He glanced towards Arthur. “How are you taking all this?”

“He told me just before… well… you know,” Arthur said. “It’s still… I’m still not completely used to it, to be honest.”

“Nearly can’t believe it. All this time and you were a sorcerer,” Gwaine said, looking at Merlin.

“Not only that, he was Dragoon the Great,” Elia replied, grinning. Merlin shot her a look as Gwaine’s eyes widened.

“That was you?” he asked as Percival chuckled.

“Yes,” he said reluctantly, shooting a look Elia’s way.

“What? He was going to find out eventually,” she said, smiling slightly. “It’s not like it’s some big secret.”

“Anything else I should know?” Gwaine asked. “You two don’t have a gaggle of half-elf children hidden off somewhere, do you?” Elia choked on her juice as Merlin smirked slightly.

“Not yet,” he replied. Elia’s cheeks started turning slightly red as Gwen turned to look at her, eyes wide. “But hopefully in the near future.”

“Think that’s enough with that,” Elia said, standing. “Anyone need anything from the kitchen?” She stood and started towards the door, though Merlin grabbed her and pulled her into his lap. Elia swatted at him as she squirmed around, trying to get out. “Merlin! Not in front of the company!”

Merlin just kissed her and held her tighter.

“I’m not sure how, but you two have gotten even more annoyingly cute with age,” Gwen said, laughing. Elia slapped Merlin’s arm, finally getting him to let go of her. She then hopped up and walked towards the house.

“Seriously though, we should finish up and get started. We’ve got loads to pack,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at the group.

“You heard the woman. Eat up,” Merlin said. The knights dug in with gusto as Arthur looked around the group, still a bit in awe that they had found them so easily. Gwen reached over and squeezed his hand.

“See, it’s all coming together,” she said softly. He nodded and smiled at her.

“Seems it is…”

~~~

“Careful with those!” Elia shouted, watching from the front step as Gwaine and Percival jostled a couple boxes. “They’re really old!”

“Don’t worry, your majesty!” Gwaine shouted back, grinning. Elia huffed and rolled her eyes slightly, though she couldn’t help but smile slightly.

“Not really a queen anymore,” she replied.

“You’ll always be a queen to me!” Gwaine responded cheekily. “Queen of my heart!”

“I think that’s about all of it,” Merlin said, stepping out of the front door with another box. “Should be able to get on the road soon.” Elia nodded and glanced back into the house, her face scrunched in concern. She hoped they weren’t forgetting anything. It’s not like it was so hard for them to come back if they did, but still. She didn’t want to have to make the drive back as soon as they got there.

“The journals?”

“In the blue suitcase,” Merlin said, continuing towards the car.

“And all the-”

“We’ve got it,” Merlin said, cutting her off.

“Still packing?” Gwen asked as she and Arthur walked up from the street with a few suitcases. They had gone over to her place to pack while Merlin, Elia, Gwaine and Percival worked on packing up the books and scrolls after the two had returned from getting their own things.

“Just loading up the cars,” Elia said, smiling at her. “Ready?”

“Think we are,” Gwen said, smiling at Arthur as he walked over and loaded her suitcases into the SUV and shut the trunk. “How long is the drive?”

“Should get there by this evening,” Elia said.

“I’m eager to see this country house,” Gwen said. “And The Willows.”

“Hopefully more magic has returned since the last time we were there,” Elia said with a sigh. Merlin walked up to her side.

“We’re ready,” he said. Elia nodded and walked back into the house, grabbing her last bag as Merlin quickly did a run-through, making sure that they hadn’t left anything behind or left anything on. He met her in the foyer where they set the alarm and then stepped out, shutting and then locking the door behind them. Elia looked up at him, smiling.

Ever since the vision, a sense of joy had settled inside her and she felt as though she had been bouncy around all morning. They had found Gwaine and Percival and now they were going home to the country house where her kin would find them next.

“Ready to go home?” Merlin asked. Elia grinned and nodded.

“Let’s go.”

They all got into the cars and started off, pulling out onto the quiet street. Elia pulled out her phone and started shuffling through her playlists, looking for something to fit the mood as Merlin drove. She glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing Gwen and Arthur in the back.

Sighing happily, she settled on one and put her phone down, propping her feet up on the dashboard.

None of them noticed the nondescript sedan parked on the street as they passed it. Nor when it pulled out into traffic, following close behind.

They never saw the driver as she smirked and put on a pair of aviators, settling in for the long drive ahead of them all.


	16. Be Prepared

Elia leaned against the window, listening as Arthur chatted with Merlin as he drove. Music was playing softly in the background. She kept her eyes trained out the window at the passing scenery, sighing happily. Every mile brought them closer to home. And closer to her kin. Soon they would be reunited.

She felt Merlin grasp her hand for a moment and she looked over, smiling at him. He lifted her hand to his lips then turned his attention back to the road. She turned to look out the window, watching as the countryside passed by.

“So, what’s the plan once we get there?” Gwen asked.

“Well, get settled. Then suppose tomorrow we can go to The Willows,” Merlin said, glancing at Elia. “Return the books, get new ones. Check on the great willow. Then get back to work while we wait on the elves. I, for one, am hoping that either Faeranduil will be with them or will have at least passed on something helpful.”

“It’ll be faster having them with us,” Elia said with a sigh. “Won’t just be myself and Merlin going through the elvish books. And yes, I hope that we hear from Faeranduil as well, though knowing him, I doubt it. He rather enjoys being annoyingly cryptic.”

“Don’t you have anything in English?” Arthur asked, referring to the books.

“Some,” Elia replied. “Old druid books of magic and such.” Arthur nodded slightly. “Figure you can move to the guest house. You’ll have more room and it’ll be more comfortable.” Merlin glanced at her, smiling slightly as he wondered if there were other reasons she wanted to move their guests to the cottage. Elia continued staring out the window, sensing his look.

“What about the elves?” Gwen asked.

“Suspect they’ll want to head to The Willows,” Elia said lightly.

“What’s it like, you think? The Isles?” Gwen then asked. Elia shrugged as she looked back at her.

“I don’t really know. I’ve heard stories, of course, but no one’s ever returned before. I always thought that you couldn’t,” she said. “Until Faeranduil told me differently.”

“Do you think they’ll all come back?” Merlin asked, glancing over at her. Elia furrowed her brow as she turned to face the front. She hadn’t thought that far, only seeing a small group in her vision. Surely, they all wouldn’t be coming right now. But outside that, would some choose to stay on the Isles? Would her father return?

“I don’t know,” she finally said. “Some might want to stay, but I think a decent number will want to return to our strongholds eventually. If The Willows is returning to life, perhaps this means that others are as well. I should hope that Rosewood is among them.”

“Will you two go to The Willows when this is all over?” Arthur asked, causing both Elia and Merlin to glance at each other. To be honest, in the excitement of the vision and leaving for the country house and, well, everything, they hadn’t had much time to discuss what came next.

If the elves were truly returning, they would expect Elia to lead them. Which meant she would have to return to living in The Willows. And where she went, Merlin went as well. She would miss their home, but perhaps in this new world, they didn’t have to stay in The Willows all the time. They could afford to come and go. Besides, the country house wasn’t that far from the elven kingdom.

“We haven’t really discussed it,” Elia said. “To be honest, I’ve been more focused on getting us through whatever is coming before thinking about how to deal with all the elves.”

“You should be thinking about it. You’re likely to have hundreds of elves on your doorstep soon,” Arthur said. Elia sighed.

“Not all of them are coming right now. Just four,” she said.

“Who?” Gwen asked. Elia frowned slightly. In the vision she knew that the four figures were elves, but she couldn’t see them clearly. Granted she had her suspicions. It was most likely Elidren, Trevor, Fianna and Bridget.

“I couldn’t see who it was,” she admitted. “But I have a good idea of who is coming.” She then returned to looking out the window, getting lost in her thoughts about the elves’ imminent return as Gwen, Arthur and Merlin continued discussing what to do once the small group got there. Merlin glanced over at her, slightly worried. But at the same time, he knew her well enough to know that she would prefer to be left alone with her thoughts. So instead he put his attention towards keeping up the conversation with Gwen and Arthur, answering as many of their questions as he could.

Elia blinked a few times, feeling her eyelids start to feel heavy. Sighing, she got more comfortable, allowing the music to lull her to sleep. There were still a few more hours before they got home and there was a lot to do once they got there. A small nap now wouldn’t hurt.

~~~

_ Elia was standing in The Willows before the great willow tree. She looked up at it, noticing that there were more green leaves beginning to sprout. She smiled and turned, making her way through the city. _

_ It was beginning to come alive again. While most of the leaves and trees were still largely dead, she could see spots of green here and there. It was coming back, slowly but surely. _

_ As she neared the gate, she stopped sensing something on the other side. Frowning slightly, she continued towards it, watching as dark smoke swirled around her. _

_ When it cleared she was standing on the other side, looking at the outcropping of rocks that formed the gate from the other side. A woman stood before her, hand outstretched as she touched the vine-covered wall. _

_ She then dropped her hand and stepped back, running her hand through her dark hair. _

_ Elia felt her heart stop as her eyes widened. Even though she could not see her face and she was dressed in modern clothing, she knew who was standing there. The woman turned and looked around the forest. She then stopped, almost seeming to lock eyes with Elia though the elf knew there was no way that she could see her. _

_ This was a vision, after all. She was possibly looking at something just behind Elia. _

_ “So it’s true,” Elia said softly. _

_ The woman stepped towards her as Elia swallowed, the swirling dark mist surrounding her and whisking her away. _

~~~

Elia gasped loudly as her eyes flew open, shooting forward in her seat and being stopped by the seat belt. Merlin swerved slightly, taken aback by her sudden outburst. He glanced at her nervously and quickly pulled over, before turning to look at Elia. He had noticed the frown appear on her face while she was sleeping, but assumed she was worrying about the elves. But now it would seem that she had been having another vision. And this one wasn’t a happy one.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. Elia was breathing heavily, though she was quickly regaining control of herself.

“I saw her… she’s back,” Elia said. “We were right.”

“Who?” Arthur asked, leaning up in the seat. Though the stern look on his face said that he knew who she was going to say. Elia looked over at them.

“Morgana. She’s back. I saw her just outside the gate to The Willows,” she said. “Obviously she can’t get in, but she will go there.”

Merlin turned to stare at the steering wheel a few moments as Elia took a few slow, deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

“Do you know when?” he asked softly, though he long knew the answer to that. Elia just shot him a look. He then turned back to Gwen and Arthur. Gwen had a look of worry on her face, though Arthur’s was set in determination.

“We always knew this was a possibility,” he said. Merlin nodded and turned to look back at Elia.

“We should get back on the road,” he said. “We need to get to the country house to plan…”

~~~

“What d’you think that was about?” Gwaine asked as they followed Merlin back on the highway. He had been just about to get out and check on the other car when it took off again.

“Dunno,” Percival said. “Suppose they’ll tell us when we get there. Maybe Arthur got carsick?”

Gwaine chuckled as he shook his head. He looked out the window, scarcely believing the current situation. He still had his memories of his life as Ian, but the others… The last he remembered he was looking up at Percival as he died. And then there was nothing. Nothing until he opened his eyes in the garden and saw his old friends standing there, looking at him.

“I know. It’s odd,” Percival said, glancing at him. “It’s like… I’ve been two people this whole time.”

“We didn’t know about our other life, though,” Gwaine said.

“I know, but… I think part of me always felt a bit… incomplete as Trevor,” Percival said. “Like something was off.”

“Same,” Gwaine said with a sigh. “But now we’re back together. Well… some of us, at least.”

“You think any of the others will have come back?” Percival asked. “Lancelot? Elyan? Leon?” Gwaine shrugged.

“Not sure. But at least we’ll have the elves. Feel better knowing we’ll have some good fighters on our side,” he said. “Should a war be coming, that is.”

“I’m not even sure I’d still remember how to use a sword,” Percival mused.

“Sure the skill is still there. Just need a bit of practice. You think Elia and Merlin have some weapons stored away somewhere?” Gwaine asked.

“Possibly? They seemed to have stored a number of things,” Percival said. “Still can’t believe they had all those drawings and paintings of the twins…” Gwaine when silent a few moments. He hadn’t been there to see Arthur and Gwen’s children. Nor had he seen Percival’s. He glanced over at him.

“Do you miss them? Your wife and children?” he asked. Percival smiled slightly.

“Yea, but… it’s strange. I lived an entire life with them and then another without them... So, guess I feel as though… I had that time. And it was enough,” he said. “If they aren’t in this time, at least I have the memories.” Gwaine nodded and looked back out the window.

Part of him felt slightly jealous. Arthur was reunited with Gwen and even though he did not know them, had had children with her. Merlin had Elia. Even Percival had settled down. While Gwaine had never considered himself the settling sort, he couldn’t help but feel as though he was missing out on something. Had he been given the chance, he wondered if he would have eventually followed the same route as the others.

“ _This_ is a second chance, Gwaine,” Percival said, looking over at him and guessing where his thoughts were going.

“I know,” Gwaine replied.

“I won’t let you die this time,” Percival said. Gwaine turned to grin at him.

“Course you won’t,” he said. “I don’t intend to let myself die either.” Percival was still serious.

“I mean it,” he said. “I… always carried that day with me… if I had just gotten there faster…”

“It wasn’t your fault, Percival,” Gwaine said. “Dare say it was a bit rash of us to go after Morgana on our own.”

“Yea, well… I didn’t really like the idea of sitting around and doing nothing,” Percival said, offering Gwaine a small smile.

“Me neither,” Gwaine replied.

“Then let’s chalk it up to experience and try not to get killed this time,” Percival said. Gwaine nodded.

“Sounds easy enough…”

~~~

The sun had set before they reached the country house, but now that they were there, everyone was in the large den while Elia paced, her brow furrowed. Merlin filled in Percival and Gwaine on what she had seen in her vision and the group was now silent, each taking in the news.

“Suppose we should go to The Willows, then,” Gwaine said, as though it were the most logical next step. “If she’s going to try and get in, then we meet her there and stop her. End this before it begins.”

“But why would she go there?” Percival asked. Elia stopped pacing, glancing over at Merlin.

“Maybe she’s looking for us,” she offered.

“But… how would she even know that we’re still alive?” Merlin asked. “She died before the prophecy. And we know it has to be a reincarnation - the others didn’t start remembering until they came into contact with us and I’m pretty sure I would remember seeing Morgana. How could she even remember how to get there? Perhaps this is a vision from years from now.”

“We could have missed her. Inadvertently come in contact with her without realizing it? Or maybe she returned with all her memories intact,” Elia countered. “She was a powerful sorceress. It could have been different for her than the others.”

“Either way, I don’t fancy running into her unprepared,” Merlin said. “We need a plan.”

“But aren’t you supposedly the greatest sorcerer to walk the earth? Surely you can take her down easy enough on your own,” Gwaine said.

“You have killed her once before,” Percival added. Merlin sighed.

“Yea, but that was with a dragon blade,” he said. “It’s probably the only thing that could kill her.”

“So, go fetch Excalibur. Then we go to The Willows and lie in wait,” Arthur said, crossing his arms in front of him. Merlin glanced at Elia and then over at Arthur. First of all, he wasn’t completely sure it was fair to kill her without first finding out just what she was up to. Not to mention there was no telling how far in the future the vision came from. But he would get to that later. The more present issue was the fact that he didn’t have Arthur’s sword. While he had explained how he came to get it originally in his many conversations with Arthur since he got back, he had conveniently left out just where it was currently located and thankfully Arthur hadn’t asked for it. Until now, that is.

“I don’t have it,” Merlin said.

“I can see that. Go fetch it from whatever room you’ve got it locked up in,” Arthur said, slightly exasperated.

“I mean, we don’t have it stored anywhere. We don’t have it. Period,” Merlin repeated. Arthur began frowning.

“Where is my sword, Merlin?” he asked.

“I had to keep it safe,” Merlin said. “And really, you had just died, so I didn’t see the point in keeping in around. Not when it could have fallen into the wrong hands…”

“Where. Is. The. Sword?” Arthur said, starting towards him.

“He threw it into the lake,” Elia said, jumping in front of Merlin. Arthur’s eyebrows rose.

“The lake? That lake?” he asked, pointing towards the front of the house.

“Suspect the Lady of the Lake is keeping it now,” Elia added. “She’s kept it before, as you well know.”

“And who is this Lady again?” Arthur looked over at Merlin. “You say it like I know how she came to be there and who she is.”

“Right… guess I forgot to tell you that story,” Merlin said - he really did need to sit down and tell Arthur everything at some point. While he thought he had made good progress, he had apparently forgotten a few. “Remember that flying panther that you vanquished in Camelot?” Arthur nodded. “Well… it was actually a cursed druid girl.”

“The one that escaped the bounty hunter?” Arthur asked, thinking back.

“I, ehm, I helped her escape. And we were going to run off together, but…”

“Elia, did you know about this?” Arthur asked, looking at her and then back at Merlin, almost as though he were disgusted that Merlin would be interested in anyone other than the elf standing next to him. Elia sighed.

“This was before we fell in love. Of course, I knew and no, I don’t mind that Merlin had a life or an ex before me,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her. “I was married before him, if you remember.” Arthur then looked at Merlin.

“You were going to run off with a druid girl,” he stated, his disapproval clear.

“Yes, but I didn’t, did I? You mortally injured her, so I took her to the lake where she died. And then, I suppose because of her magic, she became a sort of guardian for it,” he said. “I threw the sword in the lake and she took it after you died.” Arthur looked to Elia, who nodded her confirmation.

“I was there. I saw it,” she said.

“Well, that’s just fantastic,” Arthur said, running his hands through his hair. “How am I supposed to defeat Morgana a second time without my sword?”

“Technically I was the-” Arthur shot Merlin a withering glare. “Suppose it doesn’t matter. She was defeated and all was well.”

“Can’t you just go down there and ask her to give it back?” Gwaine asked. Elia and Merlin looked over at him.

“I don’t think she comes when called,” Merlin said.

“And we’ve been down to the lake loads of times and Freya’s never shown up,” Elia said. “It’s not like we have all magical beings at our beck and call. What’s left of them, anyway.”

“Perhaps it was because you brought your wife with you,” Gwaine said, smiling. “Reckon she’s not happy about that.” Elia sighed as she rolled her eyes.

“I highly doubt that’s the case,” she said, starting to pace again.

“Are there anymore such blades or weapons?” Percival asked.

“Mordred’s, but we haven’t been able to locate it,” Elia said. “Assumed it’s been lost in time.”

“And there are no more dragons, so we can’t make anymore,” Merlin asked.

“Then how are we supposed to defeat Morgana?” Arthur asked. Merlin looked over at Elia.

“Perhaps another way. You’re smart, Arthur. I’m sure you could come up with another way. Perhaps one involving a bit less bloodshed,” Merlin said.

“I have half a mind to toss you out and not let you back in until you convince this Lady of the Lake to give you my sword back,” Arthur said.

“Arthur!” Gwen chided.

“He threw it in a bloody lake!” Arthur shouted, looking over at her.

“Because you were dead!” Merlin retorted. “You didn’t need it anymore!”

“Yea, but you knew I was coming back and there was a chance I would!”

The two friends then launched into a loud row. Elia massaged her temples, feeling a headache coming on as Gwaine laughed at the exchange. Percival just frowned, looking back and forth between the former king and servant as Gwen tried to cut in and calm them down.

In the middle of all this, there was a knock at the door.

“Don’t mind me,” Elia said, loudly as she made her way to the door while Merlin and Arthur continued on. “Seriously hope it’s not the bloody neighbors… Perfect timing as always, Clara.”

She stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath, pasting a fake smile on her face as she quickly tried to come up with a story for the shouting coming from the back of the house. She then pulled it open.

“Hel-”

Elia froze as her eyes widened. She just stood there for a long time unable to say anything.

“Lia, who is it?” Merlin shouted from the den, noticing that she had walked out of the room. Elia didn’t answer as her eyes filled up with tears. It wasn’t much like her vision, but she assumed something must have happened since she had it to alter the circumstances. Perhaps the vision about Morgana. “Lia?”

There were footsteps as Merlin walked up behind her and stopped, noticing who was standing on the steps.

“What the bloody hell is going on?!” Arthur shouted, following Merlin. “We were-” He stopped as well.

“Seriously, Lia. Have you lost your manners over the years? How much longer are you going to force us to stay out here while you gawk?” Elidren asked. “It’s a rather unbecoming look for a queen.” Elia just blinked as a smile filled her face. She then launched herself forward, laughing as she jumped into her cousin’s arms. Elidren frowned slightly, but then wrapped his arms around her, a soft smile appearing.

“Welcome home.”


	17. For The First Time In Forever

Elia continued wiping her cheeks as she led Elidren, Fianna, Bridget and Cameron into the large den at the back of the house. They hadn’t changed at all, though she suspect they wouldn’t have. She couldn’t help but notice Trevor missing, which she found odd. Surely, he would have been with them, eager to be back at Elia’s side. She missed him dearly.

The elves were dressed in modern clothing - how they managed that, Elia had no idea - but each had a bow, quiver of arrows and their swords at their hips. Plus, they sported packs, which Elia suspected contained their elven clothing and armor. It made for an odd sight along with their ears. How they got to the house without attracting attention was a mystery to her.

“I’ll get some tea,” Gwen said, smiling as she started for the kitchen. “A little help, Arthur?” The king started to open his mouth, but one look from Gwen and he snapped it shut, quietly following her out.

“I must admit, this dwelling is most curious,” Elidren said, looking around the large room.

“How did you manage normal clothes?” Elia asked, ignoring the comment. She would explain everything about the modern times later. The Isles were rather secluded, so she doubted anything in the elves’ lives would have changed much in the time they had been gone.

“Bridget got them for us. There’s a human village on a nearby island that she’s been visiting in preparation for our return,” Cameron said, beaming at her in pride. Elia turned to look at the blonde elf, noticing a blush come over her face.

“Thought it could help. Figured things wouldn’t be the same as they were since so much time has passed,” Bridget said quietly. Elia looked around the group, walking over to hug Fianna again, still not quite believing they were all there.

“Where’s Trevor? I thought he’d be with you,” she said, looking over at Elidren. The older elf frowned.

“What do you mean where is he? We were expecting to meet him here,” he replied.

“Why would he be here?” Elia asked.

“Trevor left 10 years ago,” Fianna said. “To find you and Merlin.” Elia just blinked as she looked over at Merlin and back at the elves.

“We haven’t seen him,” she said, her heart starting to pound slightly. “You don’t think… has something happened to him?” The elves were silent as they glanced at each other.

“I fear we do not know,” Elidren said with a sigh. “But we do not have time to worry about that now. Faeranduil sent us. He said that you would need our aid.” Elia sighed.

“Got that right,” she said. “We’ve just discovered that Morgana has returned.” Elidren glanced around the room, noting the knights.

“How is this possible? She was killed with a dragon blade,” he said. “As far as I am aware, only King Arthur was prophesied to return after death.”

“Well, turns out reincarnation is a thing,” Elia said. “As you can see.” Gwaine just grinned and waved from the sofa. “We found a spell in Faeranduil’s journals that will return memories of a past life, though some came back on their own. Starting after coming in contact with us.” Elidren nodded, taking the information in stride.

“Where is she?” he asked, returning his gaze to Elia.

“We don’t know. I saw that she will go to The Willows, but I don’t know when,” she said.

“Then we must go ensure that she doesn’t get in,” he said, starting towards the door.

“She can’t. Merlin and I made sure of that,” she said. Elidren stopped and looked over at her, a rather incredulous look on his face. “Don’t give me that look. Even then she couldn’t get in. We’ve improved the wards.”

“But still, it would be an opportunity to capture her,” he said, frowning at her.

“Yes, but we don’t know that it’ll be tonight. It’s late and you all just got here. There’s a lot I was hoping to talk about,” Elia said. She was on the verge of whining, she knew, but she didn’t really want to make the two-hour drive over and then sit there for something that may or may not happen. “Really, there’s no way that she can get in.”

“You are sure?” Elidren asked.

“The only ones who can open the gate right now are myself and Merlin. Together,” Elia said firmly. Elidren then nodded.

“I suppose it can wait,” he said, though his voice said that he clearly wasn’t happy with the decision. He looked around the den again, likely wondering what they should do now. Gwen walked back in, both her and Arthur carrying trays of tea. Gwaine hopped up from the sofa, still smiling.

“I don’t know about you, but I feel like this warrants a bit of a celebration. You got anything stronger than tea?” he asked, looking at Elia. She couldn’t help as a smile tugged at her lips.

“Come with me,” she said, starting towards the door that led down to the basement wine cellar.

“Now is not the time for a party. We should be strategizing,” Arthur said firmly, a look of disapproval on his face.

“And we will!” Gwaine said loudly. “But there’s not much Morgana can get up to tonight. Live a little, Arthur. The elves are back!” He then turned and continued following Elia. Arthur sighed and shook his head.

“Did you honestly think he’d change at all?” Merlin asked, starting to smile.

“No… but we should be planning,” he said.

“Like Gwaine said, we will. But I’m sure Elia and the elves have some catching up to do,” Merlin said, glancing at the group. “You can sit.”

Elidren looked around the room once again as Merlin left to start pulling chairs from the dining room. Fianna walked over to sit on the sofa as Bridget perched on the arm of it. Cameron remained standing with Elidren, though he walked over to look at the photographs on the wall.

“I see you made an honest woman of my cousin,” Elidren said loudly. Merlin walked back in carrying two chairs, but stopped at the comment, his face turning slightly pink.

“Of course. Shortly after you left,” he said. Elidren nodded and joined Cameron at looking at the photographs.

“Done it several times, from what I can see,” Percival joked. Elidren turned to frown at him. Percival pointed at the photographs. “Several weddings, I mean…”

“Dozens of weddings, if I remember correctly,” Arthur added as Merlin situated the chairs and then quickly left the room, muttering something about wine glasses.

“Elidren. Sit. You’re making him nervous,” Fianna gently scolded in the elven language. The ginger elf cast a dubious glance her way before walking over to one of the chairs. He took off his bow and quiver, then finally his sword, though left it within reaching distance. “He’s been her husband for over 1,000 years…”

“She is still my cousin. No, she is more like a younger sister to me than a cousin,” he said sternly, looking at her. Fianna just rolled her eyes. About that time, Gwaine reappeared, several bottles in his arms, as Elia followed carrying more. He gleefully started putting them down on the coffee table.

“I have never been more grateful to see such a collection of wine and spirits,” he said, glancing at Elia.

“Had a long time to gather it,” Elia said.

“Now. Who is ready for a celebration?”

~~~

Morgana breathed heavily as she stumbled her way through the woods. It was late, but she was determined to make it to the borders of the kingdom as soon as she could. Besides, there wasn’t anywhere near the large country manor that would allow her to observe unseen or even get close to it so that she could listen in. Seemed she would have to nix the surveillance for as long as they were there. And she didn’t know how long that would be. But thankfully, she had a few contacts watching the townhouse in London. If they returned, she would know.

It was rough getting through the forest in the dark, and common sense said that she should have just gone to the room she booked at a B&B and come back when the sun was up, but she couldn’t help the sense of urgency that came over her. She wanted to see just how heavily warded it still was. Even though the elves had left and magic was no long strong in the land, there was no telling what the elf queen and Merlin had been capable of together.

She stopped in a clearing and shined her torch down at the map in her hand. It had been forever since she was last in these woods and nothing appeared the same as it did back then, but she was sure that she was on the right path. She looked up and directed the light towards the woods ahead of her. Closing her eyes, she cleared her head, waiting to see if she felt anything.

There. A faint hum.

Opening her eyes, she fixed them in the general direction she felt the hum coming from, a renewed vigor filling her. She was close.

After another half hour of tramping through the trees, she came to a stop, seeing a large outcropping of rocks in front of her, covered in dead vines. She quickly put the map away and stepped forward with her hand out. She could feel the light hum of magic just underneath the stone and upon closer inspection, noticed that there were a few spots of green starting to appear throughout the dead foliage.

She had wondered if there would still be magic here, and she was happy to see there was, even if it wasn’t as strong as it had been. Before she could feel it miles away. But still. She took a deep breath and stepped back, staring at the wall. While she knew it was probably silly, part of her had hoped that maybe if she had found the place, her magic would suddenly come back. After touching the gate and then standing in its presence for a bit, it was clear that nothing was happening. Sighing she walked over and sat on a nearby log, still studying the wall. She hadn’t been able to get in before. And even with the magic waned, she was fairly sure that Merlin and Elia had put up something to keep out unwanted visitors.

Morgana sat there for a while. She wasn’t sure how long. But long enough that a chill set in. She went over everything in her mind that she needed to do, methodically going through it all in a to-do list fashion. There was still so much, but she was at least getting somewhere. Her search for others like her was starting to prove fruitful. She had found The Willows. She knew where Merlin and Elia lived when they weren’t in the city - should have known they would settle near Avalon and the Isle of the Blessed. Hopefully the next few days would prove fruitful as well.

Calmly, she stood and brushed the forest debris from her, turning to hike back to where she left the car. It was late and she was tired. Time to get back to the bed and breakfast and then tomorrow she would head back to London. There was work to be done, that was sure.

~~~

Elia smiled happily as she stumbled towards her bedroom door. The elves were now situated in the guest rooms at the main house while Arthur, Gwen and the knights were in the cottage. After the initial shock of discovering that Trevor was missing, a mood of happiness had settled in. Elia pushed her worries aside as she was eager to speak with her kin and learn what they had been up to over the years on the Isles. They had worked through quite a few bottles with Gwaine egging them on.

Arthur and Gwen were the first to retire, followed by Merlin. Once Gwaine got too drunk, Percival had helped him out to the cottage, leaving the elves alone to talk and catch up in their own tongue.

Elidren had never married, though Elia wasn’t surprised at this. He had devoted all his time to leading the elves in her stead. Fianna had settled down with another warrior and now had three grown children. Cameron had taken over control of the army and named Bridget his second. From the way he looked at her, Elia had surmised that sometime over the years he had developed feelings for her. But she couldn’t quite tell if Bridget returned them. No matter - she’d get it out of her eventually.

Elia shut the door behind her and looked towards the bed, finding it empty. She glanced over towards the large sitting area and assumed that he was out on the balcony. Frowning, she padded across the room, wondering what was keeping him up. Upon finding his seated there she walked over and fell into his lap.

“Lia!” he said with a start, not hearing her walk up. She giggled and looked up at him. “How much did you have to drink?”

“Don’t worry. Barely made a scratch in the collection,” she said. “Though I suppose it’s good we’re finally putting it to good use.” A faint smile came across his face, though it was quickly replaced with a pensive look as he gazed back out towards the lake. Elia turned to look at it then back at him.

“You’re wondering how to get it back, aren’t you?” she asked.

“Can’t help but think that we’ll need it,” he said.

“Suppose she didn’t give it to us before because it wasn’t time,” Elia said. “Maybe now that Arthur is actually back, Freya will appear…”

“Suppose that’s possible,” Merlin replied. Elia continued to study him.

“What really worries you?” she asked softly. “You’ve been rather quiet.” Merlin laughed wryly.

“You have to ask?” he said, still staring out at the lake.

“I’m sure there’s something you could do… a spell or something… we could get the sword back that way,” Elia said thoughtfully, looking back out at the lake.

“It’s not about the sword, Lia. At least that’s only part of it,” Merlin chided. “And what I don’t understand is why you want to sit around drinking when we should be figuring how to defeat Morgana. Again.” He tried to keep his voice level, but there was a hint of anger in it. Elia looked back at him, frowning.

“Forgive me for wanting to catch up,” she snapped, getting up out of his lap. “It’s not like it’s been 1,500 years since I’ve last seen them.” Merlin sighed and rubbed his face.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t,” he stopped and looked up at her. Elia had moved to stand at the railing, her arms crossed in front of her.

“I’m worried too,” she said. “About Morgana. What she could be planning. And, Christ, Trevor is still out there and we don’t know where or if he’s even still alive… forgive me if I wanted just a few hours to put all the worrying aside.”

Merlin pushed up from the chair and walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

“How long have we been together?” he asked softly. Elia snorted.

“I fail to see why that matters now,” she said, not looking at him.

“We’ve been married over 1,500 years. I’ve lost track of how many weddings we’ve gone through. But the part in our vows where we’re in this - in whatever life throws at us - together, hasn’t changed,” he said. Elia didn’t reply. “I’m sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I know that you’re worried. We’re all worried.” Elia took a deep breath and slowly let it out, leaning back against Merlin. “I just keep wondering what all this means. Did Arthur come back just because of Morgana?”

“The only thing we do know is that it’s all for a reason,” Elia finally said. “Arthur was meant to come back at this time. The knights, the elves… all of us were meant to be here. Now. Likely even Morgana. And eventually we will find out.”

“I won’t let him die this time,” Merlin said, steel entering his voice. “If this… if this is like before, I can’t…” He stopped speaking as he clenched his jaw. Elia turned in his arms to look up at him, her brow furrowed.

“Is that what you’re really worried about?” she asked softly. “That you won’t be able to save him should you need to?” Merlin nodded and looked down at her.

“I did everything I could last time. I even knew who it would be. When it would happen. And I still couldn’t,” he said, a tear sliding down his cheek.

“You weren’t the only one… we were all trying to save him. And we all failed,” Elia whispered. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. “This won’t be like last time. We will make sure of that. The future is not written this time like it was before.” Merlin nodded as she went up on her toes and gently kissed him. “You have to believe that.”

“I know,” Merlin replied.

“And tomorrow, if it’ll help, I’ll go with you to the lake,” she said. “See about that sword.” Merlin laughed softly.

“You think if we shout loud enough, Freya’ll throw it back at us just to get us to shut up?” he asked. Elia shrugged as she laughed softly.

“Worth a shot,” she replied, smiling slightly. “If all else, we still have all the elven weapons and armor. And you’ve gotten loads better with a bow and a blade.”

“Unless Morgana shows up with a gun,” he said.

“Ah, well then… magic it is,” Elia said, stepping back. “And possibly Kevlar.” Merlin stared out at the lake again.

“This won’t be like last time,” he vowed.

“I know,” Elia said. She started back into the room, pulling Merlin along with her. “Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow the real work begins.”


	18. Someday My Druid Will Come

Elia yawned as she stood in front of the stove the next morning, watching the bacon as it cooked. She had had no trouble falling asleep, but with the large amount of guests now occupying the house, she had gotten up rather early to get started on breakfast. Especially since there was a variety of tastes going on. While not technically vegetarian, the elves preferred fruit in the morning and the knights would likely want a fuller, heartier breakfast. Not to mention could eat a lot on their own.

“You’re up rather early,” Merlin said, walking into the kitchen and yawning.

“There’s coffee in the pot,” she said without turning around. Merlin walked straight to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “Had to get started if I was going to get everyone fed.”

“You tossed a bit last night,” he said softly, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Too much excitement,” she replied. “But we need to get to work today. Figure we should take the elves to The Willows as soon as they’re ready.” Merlin nodded.

“Need any help?” he asked.

“Of course,” she said. “It’s a lot of food.”

“I’ll start on the toast,” he said, letting go.

The two continued to cook in silence for a time, both still waking up a bit. Elia made her way through a cup of coffee while cooking and slowly started to come around a bit.

“Good morning!” Gwaine said brightly as he and Percival walked into the kitchen. “Ah good, breakfast.”

“You can start taking things to the dining room,” Elia said, turning to look at him. Both knights were showered and fully dressed. Gwaine popped a piece of toast in his mouth and grinned as he picked up a plate and took it into the other room.

“This looks delicious. Thanks,” Percival said before grabbing two plates of food and following.

“Oh dear, I was hoping to help,” Gwen said as she and Arthur walked in just after. She quickly set about to picking up various things and carrying them into the dining room, with Arthur following suit.

“Where are the elves?” Merlin asked, looking over at her.

“Dunno. They were already out when I woke up,” Elia said. “We do tend to be early risers. Probably getting a lay out of the land.”

As if they heard them talking, the four elves walked into the kitchen dressed. Elidren pulled at his shirt slightly as though he were uncomfortable with the modern clothing.

“Seems you’ve been busy,” he said, taking in the kitchen. “Since when did you spend so much time in a kitchen?” Elia snorted.

“Please, Eli,” she replied with a smile. “Not like we need a bevy of servants anymore.” Elidren looked around the large kitchen with an eyebrow raised. “There’s some fruit over there, if you could carry it into the dining room.” He looked down at the platters as though he couldn’t understand why she would ask him. “Seriously?!”

Sighing slightly, he picked up the plate and then turned, walking towards the dining room. Fianna chuckled as she grabbed two more plates and moved to follow.

“He is still not used to such tasks,” she said.

“Why am I not surprised,” Elia said.

Soon they were all seated around the large dining room table, with the knights striking up a lively conversation about the guest cottage. Elia sat back and allowed herself to smile as she took in the full table. For a moment, she forgot that there was a serious reason they were all here and it was just another happy gathering of friends.

“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” Gwaine asked brightly. “We off to The Willows?” Elia glanced at him, chewing slowly. She nodded as she swallowed.

“Figured that’s the first place the elves would want to go,” she said, glancing to Elidren, Fianna, Cameron and Bridget. “We can check on the wards and the great willow. Further search the archives.”

“Great. When do we leave?” Gwaine asked. Elia frowned at him. She hadn’t intended on the knights coming along, thinking it was best for the elves see their old home without an audience. It was likely to be a difficult moment for them.

“I think it best that you stay here,” Elidren said, turning his eyes towards the loud knight. Gwaine frowned. “It could get… crowded. And the archives are very old. I should not like if you damaged anything there.”

“What makes you think I’d damage something?” Gwaine asked.

“Arthur and I could use your help here with some things,” Gwen said brightly, hoping to stave off a fight. Gwaine turned to look at her. “Really. There’s a lot to be done.”

“I would appreciate your help,” Arthur added. “We could probably get some training in as well.” Gwaine looked at him and nodded.

“Yes, if that’s what you wish, your majesty,” he said. Merlin snorted slightly, unable to hide a smile. Elia looked over at him, smiling herself.

“What?” Arthur asked, frowning at him.

“Sorry… just… been a long time since I’ve heard anyone say ‘your majesty’,” he replied.

“Then what do you call Elia?” Elidren asked in all seriousness. Merlin turned to look at him, eyes wide.

“Knock it off, Eli,” Elia chided. “I’ve not been queen in a long time.”

“You are still our queen,” Elidren said, frowning at her. Elia rolled her eyes.

“He calls me Lia,” she retorted. Bridget then cleared her throat, getting the attention of the group.

“If it pleases you, your majesty,” she started, “I would like to search for Trevor.” Elia sat up, her brow furrowed.

“Where would you look?” she asked.

“I was the last to speak to him before he left. I know where he was headed. I can start there,” she said. Elia thought for a moment and then nodded.

“You’ll need someone to help you,” Elia said. “Unless you’ve learned to drive.” Bridget stared at her in confusion.

“I could go with her,” Gwen said.

“No, I need you here,” Arthur said immediately.

“Thank you, Gwen, but I should probably go with her,” Elia said.

“We need you to get into The Willows,” Merlin said. Elia looked over at Bridget and then back at Gwen who looked hopeful.

“There aren’t many of us that can get around in these times. Let me go,” Gwen said. “You have more than enough left here to help.” Arthur was frowning at her, looking as though he wanted to tell her to stay, but was biting his tongue.

“Very well. You two can set out whenever you’re ready,” Elia said. “Merlin and I will take the elves to The Willows and the rest of you can get started researching.”

“We can set out after breakfast. Should I pack something?” Gwen asked.

“It would be best. I am not sure how long it will take me to track him,” Bridget said. Gwen smiled and nodded, then continued eating. Elia smiled to herself, feeling somewhat accomplished.

Merlin reached over and squeezed her hand, smiling at her.

This would work.

~~~

The group made their way easily from the trail where they parked the car to the gate of The Willows, despite carrying a few large boxes of books. They sat them down as Elia and Merlin walked up to the rock outcropping. Elidren pushed through them and stepped close, studying the vines.

“There are some fresh buds here,” he said after stepping back.

“Certainly good news,” Elia said with a sigh. “Though I had hoped we would see more…”

“Someone’s been here,” Cameron called out. They looked over at him, seeing him bent down studying the earth. He looked up at them. “Recently. Sometime in the night, perhaps.” Elia frowned as she looked over at Merlin.

“No one ever comes this far back,” he said. “Not usually. It’s too far from the main trails.”

“We’re the only ones who come here,” Elia added. “But… it was night when I saw her here. It was likely Morgana.”

“I knew we should have come straight here,” Elidren said. “We could have captured her.”

“She’s a powerful sorceress. Even with all of us, it could have a difficult fight,” Merlin said.

“Not when we have the upper hand. We know these woods,” Elidren said, frowning at the warlock. “Besides, I thought you were more powerful.”

“We didn’t know that it would be last night. You of all people should know how unpredictable visions are,” Merlin shot back, frowning. “And I am more powerful…”

“Does not change the fact that we should have come directly here rather than sit and talk of frivolous things,” Elidren said, taking a step towards him.

“That was Lia’s idea,” Merlin retorted.

“Enough!” Elia shouted, glaring at the two. They remained staring at each other.

“We had no way of knowing that she would come last night, but it doesn’t matter now. And she can’t get in, remember? The only way to open the gate is through me and Merlin,” she said firmly. “A combination of both our magic.” She looked back and forth between the two. “Now, if you would step back, Elidren, we’ll open the gate and we can get to work.” With one last frown in Merlin’s direction, he stepped back, motioning for them to start. Elia sighed and turned to the rock.

Merlin put his hand out and started the spell as Elia spoke in the elven tongue. After a few moments, the vines pulled back and the rocks rolled away, an opening appearing. They then picked up the books and walked through. Elia heard a sharp intake of breath behind her, not sure which elf it was, but she could feel their pain. Even if you were expecting it, it was painful thing to see their beloved home dead around them.

Though as they walked towards the palace, Elia couldn’t help but notice small spots of green here and there. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to spark hope in her. They dropped the boxes off in front of the palace and continued on, moving towards the willow grove.

“This is… I was not expecting this,” Fianna said softly, looking around.

“You never get used to it,” Elia said with a sigh as they continued on. She stopped when the great willow came into view. It wasn’t that different from the last time they were there, though she could notice a bit more green here and there. She had hoped there would be more. She moved closer towards it, dropping down among the roots to feel the old, worn bark. “Still there. But it’s still weak,” she said, looking over at the others.

The elves quickly walked over, all three feeling the tree.

“Does it feel stronger than the last time?” Elidren asked, looking over at her. She shook her head and stood, her brow furrowed.

“It’s the same,” she said. “Come. Let’s get to the archives and then get back home.” She turned and started towards the palace. Fianna looked over at Elidren, sharing a worried look with him before she followed Elia and Merlin. It was clear the queen didn’t want to be there any longer than they needed to be.

~~~

“Ah, more dusty books. Lovely,” Gwaine said as the elves and Merlin walked back into the house carrying boxes.

“Some of these are actually in English,” Merlin said as he dropped his box next to the table. “So the rest of you have no excuse.” He looked over, meeting Arthur’s eyes.

“I must admit, these books are rather fascinating,” Percival said, looking up from the large tome that he had been going through. “All this magic lore. It’s really true?”

“All of it,” Merlin said with a sigh as he leaned against the table. “With Elidren’s help, we were able to locate a few more books that mention reincarnation, so figure that’s a good place to start. May give us more of an idea on how much Morgana knows and whether or not she has magic.”

“Obviously she’s got at least part of her memories back. She remembered how to get to the borders of The Willows,” Elia said.

“What?” Arthur asked, walking up to them. “She was there?”

“Last night from the look of the tracks,” Elidren said, frowning at Elia. She just rolled her eyes and huffed.

“Again. How was I supposed to know that she would go there last night!? We didn’t even know she had returned until I had my vision yesterday afternoon,” she said, turning around on him.

“You should have set up watch!” Elidren said. “Has all this time away addled your mind?! Just what have you and Merlin been doing for the last 1,500 years?!”

“Preparing for your sodding ass to return while you’ve been laying on a beach!” Elia shouted back.

“I have not been laying on a beach, I’ll have you know. I’ve been making sure that your people were taken care of until we could return!” Elidren shouted back, stepping towards her.

“Children! I think that’s quite enough!” Merlin shouted, stepping in between them.

“And you,” Elidren said, narrowing his eyes at the warlock.

“ENOUGH!” Arthur roared, silencing everyone. They all looked over at him with wide eyes. There was power in his voice and countenance as he fixed the three in a stern glare. “We missed Morgana, yes. But there’s nothing we can do about it now. All we can do is attempt to locate her as best we can and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Yes, Arthur,” Merlin said, starting to smile slightly. “Absolutely right.” He turned and grabbed one of the boxes and put it on the table. “Here are the books on reincarnation.” He turned and looked at Fianna and Cameron. “Perhaps we should go back out and look around more? Try and retrace her steps?” Fianna nodded and looked at Cameron.

“We can do that,” she said.

“I’ll take them. Need to get out of the house a bit,” Gwaine said, standing abruptly. “I was a fair tracker once upon a time.”

“Go,” Arthur ordered. “The rest of us will get to work here.”

Gwaine, Fianna and Cameron quickly left, while Elia turned to stare at Elidren again.

“Lia,” Merlin said softly.

She then turned and started pacing at the other end of the room.

“So, we know that Morgana is back and she has at least some of her memories,” she said, going over everything they knew.

“She wasn’t able to get into The Willows. Perhaps she doesn’t have magic,” Percival said. Elia stopped and looked at him. She considered this a few moments before shaking her head.

“It’s possible, but there’s no way to know for certain. Even with magic, she wouldn’t have been able to enter,” she said, starting to pace.

“Why would she go to The Willows?” Percival then asked.

“To find us?” Elia offered. “She could have been searching for me and Merlin and The Willows is the only place that she could think of to start.”

“Or perhaps because it is the only place of magic left,” Elidren offered. The group looked at him as Elia stopped pacing again. “There is something to the suggestion that she may not have her magic, or all of her magic. She could have gone to The Willows in effort to seek a way to regain her power.” Elia walked over and leaned against the back of a chair.

“She might not know that magic has left,” Elia said. “It would make sense as her memories returned that she would go there to become more powerful. The question is… what is she planning to do with her magic?”

Silence fell on the group as they all thought a few moments.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Arthur finally said. They all turned to look at him. “She’s picking up where she left off.”

“There’s no way she could know that you’re back,” Merlin scoffed. “She couldn’t possibly be coming after you.” Arthur looked over at him.

“What was the other thing she was trying to do?” he asked, his annoyance clear.

“To bring back magic,” Elia said, lacing her fingers together as she stared at the table. She glanced around the room, finally meeting Arthur’s eyes. 

“I am more worried about what she plans to do with it,” he said. “Especially if she finds out that I’ve also returned.”

“That’s easy enough as well,” Elia said, pushing up. “She’ll want revenge. Likely why she’s looking for me and Merlin. He was the one who killed her after all.”

“But would she know that he’s still around?” Percival asked. “She died before the prophecy. She might not know that he’s here as well.” Elia frowned as she considered this.

“Whatever it is, we must stop her. At all costs,” Arthur said. He looked down at the books. “Perhaps there is something in these texts that can help us. Let’s get to work.”

~~~

Bridget looked around the small town after she stepped out of the car, wondering where to start looking. She started walking, heading down a street towards what appeared to be a town square. She sensed Gwen catching up to her.

“Perhaps we should find an inn or bed and breakfast,” Gwen suggested. Bridget nodded, tucking her hair behind her ears. She still was not used to their smaller shape, but Elia had insisted Merlin alter them before they left. Even with the oddities of this new world, elf ears would stand out.

“Where would be the best place to look?” Bridget asked, looking over at her. Gwen looked around the square and then smiled. She pointed at a tavern.

“Usually local pubs are the best place for information in small villages,” she said. Bridget nodded and the two set off across the square. “Why here?”

“Trevor said that he was going to Camelot first,” Bridget said. “According to maps, this is the closest village to where Camelot used to be. It would make sense for him to start here.”

“He was so close,” Gwen said. “Just a few hours away. Wonder why he never ended up there.”

“This time… everything has changed. There is a chance he got confused,” Bridget said. “I find it utterly confusing.”

“Good thing you’ve got me,” Gwen replied. Bridget smiled briefly, then pushed the door open, stepping into the loud and crowded pub. She wrinkled her nose slightly before stepping up to the bar.

“Excuse me,” Gwen called out, attempting to get the barkeep’s attention. The older man motioned for them to wait. Bridget turned, leaning against the counter as she took in everyone in the pub. Times had changed, but she could still feel something familiar about the place. It reminded her a bit of the taverns she had visited on the run.

Her blue eyes continued roving through the room, glancing at the various people and faces. She had nearly reached the other side, when she stopped, seeing something out of the corner of her eye. She quickly looked back, pushing off the bar.

“What is it?” Gwen asked, stepping up to her. “Did you find him?” Bridget shook her head, her eyes still fixed on a group of young men in a corner booth. She tilted her head, trying to see past one with blonde hair. He moved out of the way and Bridget froze.

“Oh my god… is that… can’t be…”

“It is,” Bridget replied, her heart pounding. “Mordred.”

“We should go,” Gwen said, turning to walk out. Mordred - or rather a man who looked remarkably like Mordred - noticed Bridget staring and frowned as he took a drink from his beer. He then patted his friend on the arm and leaned over to say something to him. “Bridget, come on!” Gwen grabbed the elf and started pulling her towards the door.

“Oi! What you need?” the barkeep called out to them. Both women stopped and looked over at him.

“We seek-”

“Just looking for the closest inn,” Gwen said quickly. The man nodded.

“Down the street on the right. Rosebriar Inn. It’s the nicest in town,” he said.

“Thanks,” Gwen said, starting to pull Bridget out again.

“What are you doing? We should speak to him,” Bridget said, frowning at her. Gwen stopped and turned to face her.

“We don’t know what he remembers,” Gwen whispered urgently. “Usually they don’t remember anything at first. It would do no good to speak to him. Even if he did remember, the last thing I want to do is talk to him.” She then turned and started to drag Bridget again.

“Excuse me,” a voice behind them said. Both women stopped and turned around, seeing the man who looked like Mordred standing there. “I couldn’t help but notice you looking over at me.” Bridget’s eyes widened as she looked over at Gwen, unsure what to say.

“Sorry, you just look like someone we used to know,” Gwen said quickly. “We’re sorry. We were just leaving.”

“Wait… have we met?” he asked. A hopeful look came over Bridget’s face as she looked over at Gwen.

“No, we haven’t,” Gwen said, smiling tensely, starting to move again.

“You’re… you wouldn’t…”

“I’m sorry, we’re leaving now,” Gwen said, cutting him off as she pulled Bridget out of the pub.

“Why did you do that?” Bridget asked, yanking her arm out of Gwen’s grasp as she started down the street in the direction of the inn.

“Because, have you considered what would happen if we stayed too long and Mordred started recovering his memories of his past life?” Gwen asked, frowning. Bridget was silent. “The last thing he remembers doing is killing Arthur and then being killed by him. As soon as he realizes that Arthur is back, he’s going to set out and try to finish what he started.”

“We don’t know that,” Bridget said. “Perhaps he has changed.”

“Perhaps nothing, Bridget! It’s not a chance I want to take,” Gwen snapped. The elf went silent as they continued walking. She thought back to all that she knew about the young druid. He had once been kind and caring. And also friends with Arthur. She could not believe that that person was completely gone. There was always hope.

She glanced back over her shoulder, seeing the young man had followed them out. He stood outside the pub, watching as they walked away, an odd look on his face.


	19. Something There

Elia glanced towards the dining room, hearing laughter. Gwaine was in there entertaining Fianna, Cameron and Percival. Arthur and Elidren were in the back garden, likely trying to get away from the noise to continue brainstorming while she and Merlin worked to get lunch ready.

When Fianna and Cameron had returned with Gwaine last night, they reported that they had been able to track Morgana’s movement to where a car had been parked in the woods a farther distance from the gate. They then followed the tire tracks but lost it as soon as she had hit the paved road. All they knew was that she was heading out of town, which wasn’t much help because she could be going anywhere.

Bridget and Gwen were still gone, though Gwen had texted when they arrived in the town saying they were there and going to look for an inn. There had been nothing else after that.

After a day of brainstorming, Elia felt equal parts closer, yet still so far. They didn’t know where Morgana was nor where to start looking for her. Nor if she had her magic back. But they were all certain that whatever she was planning, magic would be at the center of it. It was not a comforting thought considering her brand of magic.

It was at that moment, the doorbell rang. Elia looked up and sighed.

“What do you suppose Clara wants now?” Elia asked, looking over at Merlin.

“Probably asking after all our guests, the nosey git,” Merlin said.

“I’ll take care of this,” she said, walking towards the front door. She glanced over her shoulder, hearing another burst of laughter. Shaking her head, she walked to the front door and opened it. Her eyes widened as she saw not her neighbor, but a handsome young man with dark hair.

“Can I help you?” she asked. The man smiled.

“Sorry to bother you. I’m Clara’s cousin - Roger,” he said. Elia nodded, nearly forgetting that she had mentioned he was visiting.

“Right, she mentioned you were in town. Sorry we couldn’t make your party. We were in London,” she said.

“I understand. Not like you know me or anything,” he said with a friendly smile. “I was just doing some baking and turns out she’s out of sugar.”

“No worries. Come on back,” Elia said, opening the door wider and motioning for him to come in. “You bake a lot?”

“Bit here and there,” he said. “Though today mostly because I needed something to do to get away from Clara, to be honest. She hates being in the kitchen.” Elia nodded, chuckling.

“She seems like she can be a bit much,” she admitted.

“Tell me about it… try being related to her,” he said with a slight roll of his eyes. Elia just offered a sympathetic smile.

“I never really was that great at baking,” she commented, changing the subject.

“Not that hard once you get into it,” he said. “Seems you’ve got a full house.” He glanced towards the dining room where a lot of the noise was coming from.

“Yea… some friends are in town,” Elia said, leading him back to the kitchen. “This is my husband Leo.”

Merlin turned to face the two and ended up dropping the plate that was in his hand. Elia jumped slightly as it crashed to the floor and broke into several pieces.

“Are you alright?” she asked, walking over to him.

“Yea, just slipped,” he said, bending down to pick up the pieces, though he kept looking up at Roger. Elia gave him an odd look before moving to the cupboard and opening it, searching for the sugar.

“How much you need?” she asked, looking over at him as she then reached for a measuring cup and moved towards another cabinet that contained tupperware.

“Just two cups should be fine,” the man said. Elia nodded, giving Merlin another odd look before she portioned out the sugar and put it in the tupperware. She closed it up and turned, handing it to him.

“You can return it whenever. No rush,” she said, smiling as she started leading him back towards the door.

“Thank you,” he said, glancing back into the kitchen at Merlin. “He always so skittish?”

“Not usually, but… we’ve had a rather eventful week,” she said. Roger chuckled.

“Suppose I can understand that,” he said as she opened the door for him.

“Tell Clara I said hello,” Elia said. Roger nodded and waved as he walked down the path. Elia shut the door and quickly made her way back to the kitchen. “What was that?”

Merlin was now sweeping up the plate. He stopped and put the broom against the counter and ran his fingers through his hair. Elia studied him as her eyes widened.

“Do not tell me that he is someone else come back,” she said. Merlin sighed.

“I mean, I suppose I should have expected there were more knights out there, but… I wasn’t expecting him, though part of me had hoped he’d come back,” he said, leaning against the counter. Elia frowned.

“Who is it?” she asked. She thought she knew all the knights, but if she did not recognize him, it meant he was someone who had died before she got to know them. It then hit her. There was only one knight that Merlin would react this way to. One knight that he had spoken of frequently in fondness. One knight that she had not met.

“Lancelot.”

~~~

Gwen and Bridget stepped out of the inn the next morning and looked around the street after a hearty breakfast.

“Where do you think we should start looking?” Gwen asked, looking over at the elf. Bridget frowned.

“Suppose the best place to start would be a marketplace. Some place where there would be a lot of people that we could speak with,” she said. She didn’t mention to Gwen that she was also hoping that they might run into Mordred again. She understood the mortal queen’s reservations, but she couldn’t help but think this was a second chance for them to save him from darkness. And if he didn’t have his memories of them, it was a chance to get to him before Morgana.

Gwen nodded and started back towards the square.

“I wish we had a photograph of him. Would make it easier if we could show it around,” Gwen said. Bridget nodded, but said nothing. She wished they had thought to bring some sort of likeness as well. But they were there already so the only choice they had was to make due. “Perhaps later when the pubs open, we could try there as well. They seem to be popular gathering places and I’ve seen several so far.”

“Of course,” Bridget said, pulling at the sleeves of the cardigan she was wearing. Elia had gifted her with several changes of clothing before they left yesterday, and even though she had been donning them for awhile now, she still was a bit unused them. Granted they were infinitely more comfortable than her armour. And drew less attention as well.

“The innkeeper said there was a large market street just off the square,” Gwen continued. “We can start there.”

The two women continued walking with Gwen shooting looks over at Bridget.

“What’s it like? Being back?” she finally asked.

“It’s… different,” Bridget said. “Nothing is as it was… I am curious as to what this will mean for the rest of my kin when they return.”

“I’ve wondered that as well,” Gwen said with a smile. “Though I have a hard time picturing the whole of you buying cars and TVs for The Willows.”

“I should think not,” Bridget said, relaxing slightly. “Elidren threw a fit when I gave him the clothing. He does not like the feel of denim.”

“I wish I could have seen that. He’s always seemed so uptight,” Gwen replied. “Though it took Arthur awhile to get used to it as well. Today’s fashion. Still blushes whenever either Elia or I run around in our pajamas.” Bridget laughed softly.

“There are many new, fascinating things in this world. I am eager to learn more,” Bridget said. “Though I suppose that when we return to The Willows or other elven kingdoms that reawaken, there will be no need for such comforts there.” Gwen nodded slowly.

“I often wonder where Arthur and I will be after all this,” she said with a sigh. “I mean, not like we can just take up residence in a castle and continue ruling…”

“I had heard there was a new royal family in power now,” Bridget said.

“Yea, there’s been a lot since us,” Gwen said. The two women turned a corner and walked down a street that was livelier than the one their inn was at. It was lined with small shops and stalls, and a large amount of people moved through them despite the early hour. “Suppose here is where we start…”

~~~

A few hours later, the two women had settled at a table in a quiet pub, looking over the lunch menu. They had no luck at the marketplace - seemed no one knew a man that looked like Trevor or went by his name, meaning that if he had been there at some point, he was no longer there. And it had been 10 years ago. If he just passed through, it was unlikely he would have been remembered. Though they had gotten a few odd looks when they asked about his ears.

“Suppose we can start at the pubs after lunch,” Gwen said, not looking up from the menu. Her voice carried a hopeful tone, though Bridget was already feeling deflated. She had assumed it would be easy to find him. She had not thought of where they would go if they could not find him here.

Gwen looked up at Bridget, noticing her frowning as she read through the menu.

“We will find him,” she said encouragingly. Bridget looked up at her, her face softening.

“I hope so,” she replied. “I am worried about him. But also…” She paused as she looked back down at the menu. “I fear I do not understand this parchment all that well.” Gwen’s eyebrows rose as she noted a hint of red sneaking into the elf’s cheeks. Of course. She likely hadn’t been to any restaurants and food had certainly changed since the last time the elves were around.

“Would you like me to order something for you?” she asked softly. Bridget looked up at her, noting the kind look on the queen’s face. There was no judgement there.

“Yes, please,” she said, putting the menu down. Gwen glanced down at the menu again, deciding on two salads.

“I don’t know about you, but perhaps a pint might help fortify us for the afternoon work,” she said, a twinkle in her eye as she looked up at Bridget. “It’s kind of like the ales and meads we used to have.”

“Oh… yes. I should like that,” Bridget replied. A server came over and Gwen easily put in their orders. They waited until the pints had been delivered before speaking again, with Gwen holding her glass up.

“To a fruitful search,” she said, smiling. Bridget held hers up as well and then took a drink. It was different. Nothing like she had had before, nor like any other alcohol the elves made. But she found she liked it all the same.

“So,” Gwen said, leaning towards Bridget. “I’ve noticed that you work closely with Cameron… anything going on there?” Bridget’s eyes widened at the mention of the captain of the guard. It was true that he made no secret about his affections for her over the years, but truthfully, she did not feel the same.

“He is… an honorable elf,” Bridget said, attempting to fight off the blush that was likely painting her cheeks. Gwen chuckled.

“But you don’t like him, do you?” she asked.

“I like him just fine. I am fond of him,” Bridget replied, frowning slightly. “It is just… I fear that my affections do not run as deep as his for me.” Gwen sighed.

“I can understand that,” she said. “In uni, there was this bloke in one of my classes - handsome, kind, funny. The perfect boyfriend. I knew that he was the sort of man I should be attracted to. And he had expressed interest in me. I even went on a date with him to try and, dunno, force myself to like him. But, I couldn’t.” Bridget just stared at her, not quite following her. Gwen was using a fair amount of words she didn’t understand. “I, oh bother. I forgot. You don’t know about uni, anyway, that’s not important. He was a man that I knew would be good for me. Good to be with, but the spark wasn’t there. Now, I know that it was because I was meant to find Arthur again, but at the time… I just knew that he wasn’t the one for me.”

“So… you are saying because I do not return Cameron’s affections… there could be another more suitable for me?” Bridget said slowly, testing whether she was fully understanding. Gwen smiled.

“More like... sometimes… some things aren’t meant to be,” she said before taking another drink. Bridget nodded slowly, thinking it over as she lifted her glass to her lips. This was something. She had assumed that at some point in time, she would eventually agree to marry him, seeing as in the 1,500 years they had been on the Isles, there was no other that she had developed any feelings for. And it wasn’t as though Cameron was a bad sort - quite the opposite.

But now that they were returning to this world, perhaps there was a chance that someone else was out there. For some inexplicable reason, Bridget found her thoughts turning to Mordred. She shook her head slightly, banishing the thought. They had only ever been friends and nothing more. What’s more, there was another woman that he had been in love with. Even if his memories returned and they were able to save him from himself, he would also regain his affections for her even though she was dead. Or perhaps she had returned as well. There were still many things for them to discover in terms of all this reincarnation running amok.

“Excuse me,” a voice said.

The two women looked over, finding the man from the night before standing at their table. Bridget had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t hear him approach. Though she immediately started to blush slightly, knowing where her thoughts had previously been. It was as though just the mere thought of Mordred had magically conjured him. He offered them a warm smile.

“I saw you when I came in, and…” He went silent, fidgeting slightly. “I just… get this weird feeling that I know you. But now that I’ve said it, it sounds mad. Sorry, I’ll just go.” He started to turn away, but Bridget reached out, grabbing his arm. A tingle ran through her hand and up her arm. One look at his shocked expression told her that he had felt the same thing.

“Bridget,” Gwen hissed softly.

“What do you mean you feel as though you know us?” she asked, her eyes meeting his. He turned to face them again as she let go.

“I just… it’s weird. You look familiar,” he said. He glanced around the pub before leaning closer. “And… I keep… seeing things…” he added softly. “At first it was just dreams, but then…” He stopped again. “I’m sorry. This really is mental.” Bridget looked over at Gwen, who was frowning.

“What if… what if we had an explanation for that?” Bridget asked, turning to look back at him.

“He’s not going to believe us,” Gwen said quickly, watching Mordred cautiously. “No one did at first.”

“What did you see?” Bridget asked, ignoring her comment.

“Just… I saw you, but… it was winter,” he said. “And… we were dressed in odd costumes or something.” Bridget nodded and straightened up. She looked over at Gwen.

“We should tell him,” she said firmly.

“No,” Gwen replied.

“He deserves to know,” Bridget urged.

“What are you talking about? Do you know why I feel like I know you?” the man asked. Bridget turned to face him.

“It is because you do know us,” Bridget said. “A very long time ago. Or rather… a part of you knew us. A part of you that has lain dormant.” The man frowned, not understanding what she was saying.

“Seriously, Bridget. This isn’t going to go well,” Gwen warned.

“You lived 1,500 years ago, but you went by the name Mordred. You have been reborn and after meeting us yesterday, it appears as though your memories from your past life are awakening,” Bridget continued, causing Gwen to groan and shake her head.

Mordred stared at Bridget a moment and then started chuckling.

“Right. Good one,” he said. “Seriously, though. Was it a party or something?” Bridget frowned again.

“I am serious,” she said.

“Just… leave it, Bridget,” Gwen said. “Trust me on this.” The man stopped laughing as Bridget turned to frown at Gwen.

“He must believe, my lady,” Bridget said urgently.

“I can’t see what good would come from him remembering anyway,” Gwen said, scowling at the man. He looked over at her, sensing the hostility, and then back at Bridget who had turned back to him, a pained expression on her face. She reached out and took his hand, peering deep into his eyes. He felt the urge to squirm under her intense stare.

“I can sense good in him,” Bridget said softly. “He is not completely lost.”

In a flash, the man was no longer standing in the pub, but back on the snowy plain. The blonde woman was looking up at him, the worry clear on her face.

_“Will I see you again?”_ she asked.

_“Perhaps…”_

Just as suddenly, he was back in the pub and a wave of affection flowed through him. He had no idea where it came from or why he was feeling it for a woman he had just met and knew nothing about. What’s more, a woman who clearly had a few screws loose. He pulled his hand from hers, taking a step back.

“I have to go,” he said, turning and quickly walking away. Gwen sighed and rolled her eyes as Bridget started to stand.

“Let him go,” she said. Bridget stopped and looked over at her. “We need to stay focused. We’re supposed to be looking for Trevor, remember?” Bridget frowned and nodded as she sat.

“Yes… of course,” she said, though her thoughts continued turning to the young man. She glanced towards the door, wondering if he would come back.

“Leave it, Bridget,” Gwen said. Bridget didn’t say anything, just nodded.

~~~

“He’s here? Next door?” Arthur asked. Just after Merlin had said the knight’s name, they went into the dining room to share the news.

“Yes. At least I think it’s him,” Merlin said.

“Then let’s go get him,” Gwaine said brightly, starting for the door.

“Wait,” Arthur said, a pinched look on his face.

“But this is Lancelot!” Gwaine said. Elia looked over at Merlin and then back at Arthur. She could understand his hesitation. The last time they had seen him, he had wooed Gwen away through an enchantment by Morgana. It had been a shade - not the real Lancelot - but she could see how Arthur might have difficulty separating the shade Lancelot from the real one, even after all these years. Even though he and Gwen had long made their amends in that regard.

“Seriously, Arthur. We all know that that wasn’t the real Lancelot. It was a shade. The real Lancelot is good and would never do that,” Gwaine said. Arthur looked over at him and nodded.

“But we can’t all just go over there and… tell him that he’s a reincarnation,” he said.

“That’s basically what you did with us,” Percival said. “Or well… you tricked us into coming over and then dropped a massive bomb on us.”

“And we turned out fine,” Gwaine said with a grin.

“He does have to return our container,” Elia said. Everyone looked at her. “We could always wait until he comes back. If it’s anything like the rest, now that he’s been in contact with us, the memories of his past life will start returning. He may come to us on his own.”

“This is true,” Arthur said. “Gwen did. And I’m sure these two would have as well if given the chance.” He shot a look at Elia, who was conveniently studying her nails and ignoring the look.

“Right. So we wait. See if he comes back,” Merlin said. Gwaine huffed slightly, obviously wanting to march next door right then and force-feed Roger/Lancelot the potion.

“Fine. But if it takes too long, we should go get him. We don’t know how long before Morgana makes her first move,” Gwaine said before turning and walking out. Percival offered a small smile before following, leaving Merlin, Arthur and Elia alone in the dining room.

“He does have a point,” Merlin said. “We don’t know how long we have and we could use all the help we need.”

“I know. But we got lucky with Gwaine and Percival. They were relatively quick to come around. We don’t know if that will happen this time,” Arthur said.

“I wonder if it has to do with how many of us they come into contact with,” Merlin mused, causing Elia and Arthur to look at him. “I mean, I’ve been reading up as much as I can and trying to figure out just why Percival and Gwaine came into their memories a bit faster… could be an explanation…”

“I thought we just decided to wait? Are you now saying we should all march over there and hang out with him until he gets his memories back?” Elia asked.

“No, just… trying to find a reason. It took Gwen a bit longer,” Merlin said.

“I suppose that could be something… prolonged exposure to all of us could help push it along,” Elia said, a thoughtful look on her face.

“We wait,” Arthur reiterated, causing the two to look over at him. Merlin nodded.

“Yes, s-Arthur,” he said. Arthur gave him an amused look as Elia laughed softly at his slip. “Sorry, just… lately it seems like it’s becoming like it used to be.” Elia walked over to him, sliding an arm around his waist and then looking over at Arthur.

“Seems Arthur is coming into his own finally,” she said with a smile. Arthur just shook his head.

“In the meantime, I do think there is a fair amount of work to be done,” he said, sitting at the table and reaching for a book. He paused and looked up at Elia and Merlin before motioning to the other books.

“Yes, of course,” Merlin said, quickly reaching for a book.

“I’ll be back. Going to check on Elidren and the others,” Elia said, starting towards the back of the house.

“Send in Gwaine and Percival, will you?” Arthur called out.

“Yes, your highness!” Elia shouted back, grinning. She could almost hear Arthur roll his eyes.


	20. I'll Make A Sorceress Out Of You

Morgana walked into the small shop with a glowing palm in the window, hearing the chime of bells accompany her arrival. Though the air was heavy with the scent of incense, it was still bright and friendly. She stood and waited calmly, not seeing anyone behind the counter. There were a number of bottles and jars full of various concoctions on shelves just beyond the front counter. She wondered if they were real or just for show. Some mortals would believe just about anything nowadays.

“Just a minute!” a feminine voice said from somewhere in a back room.

“Take your time!” Morgana called back, infusing her voice with a bit of cheer as she quickly arranged her face into a warm smile. She had once been a warm person - both in her past life and this new one. Though with the return of all her memories, it was sometimes hard to keep up the act. She had to sit through a tedious phone call with her mother the other day and the older woman had commented that something seemed different about her. She had played it off as work getting to her before being noncommittal about an upcoming family dinner. While she remained fully focused on the task at hand, she couldn’t help a bit of warring in her mind.

Sarah had been a quiet woman who kept to herself mostly. Preferred working alone. But she was devoted to her family, which was something that Morgana had nearly forgotten. There was a time when she had seen Arthur as a friend and even held a certain amount of affection for Uther. She had loved her sister Morgause and even held warmth for Mordred. But she didn’t see how any of that could help her now. No, it would be best to try and cut ties with her current family. They would likely have her institutionalized if she attempted to explain what was going on.

While waiting, Morgana continued to inspect the rest of the shop, going over everything she had gleaned in looking into the owner. She had watched her from afar a bit and could sense that she was the real thing. Even from halfway down the street, she could sense the magic in her. She was certain that this was a good place to start in terms of getting her magic back and finding others. Already she had been able to recruit a few with magic, though none as powerful as this woman, who would make a good ally. Even with the others, she hadn’t revealed who she truly was - only convinced them that the day was coming when they wouldn’t need to hide who they were anymore. Excited by this possibility, they had agreed to continue meeting with her, discussing it. Granted, she worried some of them would try and run once they got the full story.

She would make sure that none of them did. Besides the fact she needed at least five for the purpose of the spell she needed to do, she also needed a number of fighters as well.

After a few more moments, a woman stepped out from behind a curtain, her brown hair down in soft waves. She wore a friendly smile and by all appearances seemed normal, not donning the kooky flowy dresses or scarves with hundreds of bangles that others had. But Morgana knew the truth - this was a true druid with true, powerful magic. Not as powerful as she had once been, but she had enough. Her name had also been passed around in some of the groups she had infiltrated - within the small, secretive community it was agreed that she was strong.

“You must be Sarah?” the woman asked, walking up to her, her hand out. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“It’s not a problem,” Morgana replied accepting her hand. The woman jumped slightly as their palms touched. She then shook her head, smiling again as she shook her hand and quickly let go.

“This way, please,” she said, motioning towards the curtain. Morgana followed her, stepping into a small room as the woman held the curtain back. It was dimly lit with a table and two chairs in the center. Morgana walked over and sat down, inspecting a covered sphere on a side table that held a few other objects. She glanced over as the woman settled in the other chair. “What is it that brings you here today? It helps if I have an idea of what you are looking for. Seeking information on the future or perhaps there is a loved one you wish to speak with?” She reached for a stack of cards on the other table and began shuffling them as she looked expectantly at Morgana.

“How good are you at using that?” Morgana asked, motioning towards the sphere. The woman chuckled.

“That’s mostly for decoration,” she replied. “Only works when it wants to. And I’m much better at reading cards and palms.” Morgana nodded slowly as the woman glanced at her nervously. Likely she was already sensing that there was something different about her.

“I’m not here to have my future told nor to speak with the dead,” Morgana said, causing the woman to stop shuffling the cards. “I know what you are.”

“Well, yes, thought it obvious that I’m a medium. I’m also a practicing wiccan,” the woman said with a soft laugh. “It is written on the sign outside.”

“No. I mean I know that you are druid and sorceress,” Morgana said bluntly. The woman froze, staring at her. “It’s taken me a long time to finally track down a genuine one. You’d be surprised the number of fakes in this city. Or perhaps you wouldn’t be...”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the woman said immediately, as though it was a knee-jerk reaction. Morgana couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’ve been asking around and your name has come up multiple times. Not to mention, I can sense magic in others though I’ve lost my own,” she said. The woman frowned slightly. “I need someone to help me get my magic back, I believe that you can do it.” The woman tilted her head to the side, studying Morgana.

“How did it happen? It’s not an easy thing to lose your magic,” she said, becoming slightly suspicious.

“That doesn’t matter. It’s gone and I need it back,” Morgana said brusquely. She then took a deep breath and smiled warmly. Being harsh likely wouldn’t get her what she wanted. “I can pay. A lot.” The woman continued to study her.

“I’m not sure I can do that,” she said. “It’s rather powerful magic…”

“Stop playing games with me. I know you can,” Morgana said shortly, once again losing her fight with herself. She was bluffing - she had no idea if the woman could - but she was rather good at it. And one look at the woman’s face told her that she was clearly winning.

The woman studied her a moment before putting the cards down and standing. She moved over to another curtained doorway, disappearing behind it. She returned a bit later, a large book in her hands.

“I’ll admit, I’ve never had to perform this spell,” the woman replied as she sat the book on the table and started going through it, glancing at Morgana every so often. “Never needed to - so I’m not completely sure that I can… just so you’re forewarned.”

“I trust that you are capable,” Morgana replied lightly. The woman flipped through a few more pages before coming to a stop. She read a bit then walked out of the room again. Morgana sat up, attempting to read the book. She was curious as to what other spells it contained. It was old and looked as though it had been passed down for several generations. The woman walked back in, carrying something in a velvet bag. She sat down and quickly undid the tie.

“I will say that you are lucky that I have this,” she said, glancing at Morgana as she pulled out a large crystal the size of her palm. As soon as it was out of the bag, it started glowing a soft blue. “Otherwise the spell would be impossible.”

“What is it?” Morgana asked, studying it. Though part of her already knew. It was hard to keep the surprise from her face.

“It is a crystal from the Crystal Cave. The birthplace of magic,” the woman said. “It’s been passed down in my family for centuries. One of my ancestors took it from the cave just before the magic left. We’ve been safeguarding it ever since.”

A certain glee began to fill Morgana. There was a lot she could do with that. The Crystal Cave had been the first place she went as soon as her memories had all returned, though she was disappointed to find it no more than a normal cave now. She wondered if the woman kept it at the shop, or on her person at all times. It was a rather valuable magical artifact to have.

The woman held the crystal out in one hand and then held out the other towards Morgana. She took it as the woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath then slowly let it out. She then opened her eyes and started chanting as she stared at Morgana.

There was a shift in the air. Morgana couldn’t help but look around as she felt it, and then a small breeze that ruffled her hair. The woman seemed to have gone into a trance as she continued to chant, her eyes now glowing as the crystal shined brighter.

Morgana started struggling to breath as she felt a heaviness come over her. But just after that, it felt as though something were rushing through her. She began smiling as her fingers began to tingle and a steady hum ran through her body. She could feel the magic cackling within her.

Suddenly, the woman stopped chanting, falling forward slightly as she breathed heavily. She let go of Morgana’s hand as the crystal went dark. Morgana looked down at her hands, eager to test her abilities. She whispered a spell as her eyes flashed and a small flame appeared. She grinned as she extinguished it and looked over at the woman, who was slightly pale and putting the crystal back into the bag.

“You are incredibly talented,” she said, reaching for her purse.

“I don’t know about that… always thought I was rather normal among our kind,” the woman said modestly. Morgana pulled out a thick envelope and sat it on the table as she stood, slowly sliding it over towards the woman. The woman’s eyes widened as she reached for it and then looked up at Morgana. “This is… too much.”

“Accept it. I promised that I’d pay a lot,” Morgana said. The woman just continued staring at her, a stunned look on her face. “Now… are there more of you?”

“More of me?” she asked.

“More with magic like you,” Morgana amended. The woman just blinked.

“A few, but not many. Most of our kind died out a long time ago. The rest hid who they were out of fear of being burned at the stake,” she replied. “Nowadays I suppose it’s just become habit.”

“Where can I find them?” Morgana asked, starting to get impatient. The woman furrowed her brow.

“Who are you?” she asked. “Why do you want to know?” Morgana smirked.

“You’ll find out in due time. But I must know where I can find more druids,” Morgana said.

“There’s a group of us. We meet once a week. The next one is next week,” she said. Morgana reached into her purse and pulled out a small notepad and pen, placing them in front of the woman.

“Write down the address, day and time,” she ordered. The woman did as much, though continued to look up at Morgana as though she were trying to place her.

“Why is this so important?” she asked. Morgana snatched up the pad and pen, looking down at it.

“I have plans that I need help with,” she said. The woman frowned. “Don’t worry. They are beneficial for us.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going to bring magic back,” Morgana stated simply.

“But… magic never left. Not fully, anyway,” the woman replied. “It’s always been here in some way.” Morgana looked over at her, raising an eyebrow.

“Perhaps not, but you’ll see… I’ve got big plans in store,” she said before turning and striding out of the room and then the shop, leaving the woman to stare after her in confusion.

~~~

Morgana walked into her flat a bit later, barely flicking her hand as it immediately lit up. She smiled to herself as she dropped her purse on the dining room table and then walked into the kitchen, getting a glass of wine, she walked back in and placed it on the table, contemplating what to do next now that her magic at returned.

It would be much easier to spy on the others and she needed to keep updated on their movements. But she also need to start on the next part of her plan. Now that she was in full control of her power, she planned to show this new world just what she and others like her could do. It was just as important now as it was then for them to come out of the shadows of society. Not to mention, the world was a much bigger place. There had to be thousands if not millions out there somewhere with some form of magic.

Deciding it would be best to check on the others first, she looked around her flat, thinking over which spell would be the best to use and what she had handy to perform it. She longed for her old collections of herbs, artifacts and ingredients, but many of them were difficult to find in the current times. Her eyes fell on a large mirror hanging on a wall and Morgana smiled to herself.

The spell was a bit more difficult, but it would be a good way to test her abilities. Get back into the swing of using magic. She walked over to the mirror and stopped in front of it, admiring her reflection for a moment before closing her eyes and remembering the words.

She then opened her eyes and started to slowly chant, putting her hand out. Nothing was happening, but she kept pushing as her eyes began to glow. She said the words faster and louder, putting as much power behind them as she could.

Suddenly she felt something give and the mirror clouded up. Panting, she stepped back, a smile coming across her face as she watched the smoke start to clear. It had taken a lot out of her just to perform the one, slightly difficult spell, but she wasn’t worried. In time her strength would return and she wouldn’t tire so easily.

In the mirror, she could clearly see a group of people standing in a dining room. One side was solid windows that looked out towards a garden. Merlin and Elia stood there with Arthur and the two knights, their faces rather serious. It appeared as though they were discussing something, though Morgana did not know what. There was no sound - only the visual. On the table were many old books and scrolls. They were searching for something.

Morgana stepped closer, wishing that she could read their lips. She wondered if they knew about her. The elves had visions and she wouldn’t have been surprised if the elf queen had seen her return. Or perhaps they had just discovered something else distressing.

Tilting her head to the side, Morgana stepped closer. A tall, ginger man then walked in and stepped over to Elia’s side. Morgana’s eyes widened as she recognized him and saw his ears. More of the elves had returned. She had remembered watching them on the battleground. Even though they did not wield magic in the same way she did, they were still formidable fighters. And she had not been aware that more of them had stayed in the area. No matter. Even though she did not know how many of them she would be up against, her plans would still work.

Waving her hand and causing the mirror to return to normal, Morgana turned and walked across the room to a bookshelf. She pulled a large, old tome off and walked over to the table, gently placing it there. Flipping it open to a spot she had marked with a piece of paper, she gazed down at the pages, reading the spell for probably the 20th time. Now that she had found a group of true druids, it was time to move forward with this part. It had taken a rather long time for her to find the collections of spells. As far as she was aware, she was the only person who even knew of the book’s existence.

She ran her finger down the page, noting all the things that she would need. Some she already had, but time was of the essence. Now that she was recruiting more to her side, she would need to move quickly before the others found out what she was up to and tried to stop her. And there was the whole matter of revealing her final plan to the recruits and assuring that they would help her. Though she wasn’t all that worried about that.

“Time to get started,” she said quietly to herself as she smirked. She then sat down and picked up her glass of wine, taking a sip as a deep sense of accomplishment came over her.

Finally she was actually getting somewhere.

~~~

The woman sat in the back room of her shop for a long time after the strange woman, Sarah, had left, thinking over what had happened. While she had gotten a sense of foreboding when Sarah had asked her to return her magic, she had done it anyway, thinking that there were too few of their kind left to deny anyone the use of their magic. And she had assumed that she asked for the others wanting to meet with more of their kind. It could be lonely being part of a small and dwindling population.

But something wasn’t right and she couldn’t figure out what it was. It was like it was right before her. On the tip of her tongue or edge of her mind. It was like seeing something out of the corner of your eye but every time you turned to look, it had moved just out of sight again.

Perhaps she should speak with the others before the meeting. Get their take on it. See if they knew anything. Once she had returned the woman’s magic, it was as though a heaviness had settled in the room. The woman knew then that Sarah - whoever she was - was very powerful. Much more powerful than any other druid or sorceress that she had known. Possibly as powerful as the ancient Merlin.

What the woman would give to have him around. Surely he would have answers. He had been the most powerful sorcerer of all. Growing up she had heard many stories that he wasn’t really gone - just staying hidden until there was a need for him. Course, after the last several years she now knew more about that.

“Marissa! You here?” a voice called out from the front after the tinkling of the bells on the door. Marissa sat up, her eyes going towards the doorway that led to the front of the shop.

“In here,” she called out. There were footsteps and then a hand pulled the draping back. A smiling face greeted her as a man with brown curly hair stepped in.

“Why are you back here? Got another reading soon?” he asked, walking over to her as she stood.

“No, just… had a strange appointment,” she said as he kissed her cheek. “A woman - another sorceress - came in here saying she had lost her magic and wanted me to help her regain it.” The man frowned.

“That’s strange… it’s rather difficult to lose your magic, isn’t?” he asked.

“I’ve certainly never seen it before, though I suppose I always knew it was possible. Have you heard of it?” she asked looking up at him. The man was silent a few moments.

“Once. But it was taken by means of a rather foul magical creature that has long been extinct. The only thing that returned it was going to the Crystal Caves,” he said. Marissa nodded as she looked down at the crystal, now back in its pouch, still sitting on the table.

“I managed to perform a spell and with the help of the crystal, returned her magic, but…” she looked back up at him, her brow furrowed. “I can’t help but think I’ve made some sort of grave mistake.”

“How so?” the man asked. Marissa shrugged and sat back down in the chair, sighing.

“Again… I’m not sure. Just a funny feeling I get, is all,” she said. She then looked up at him and smiled. “I’m going mental, aren’t I?”

“You are never silly nor mental, my love,” he said, bending down to peck her on the lips. She couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“Shouldn’t you be minding your own shop?” she asked, an eyebrow raised.

“I’m on my break. Can’t I take my wife for lunch? I thought that was the reason we opened up shops next to each other,” he said. She laughed again and then stood.

“Let me lock up and we can go to Madame’s across the street,” she said, walking to the front, though making sure to take the crystal with her. For some reason, she felt like she should keep it close. The man followed. Once they were in the front, she grabbed a purse from under the counter and started for the door as she put the crystal inside. She flipped a sign over, saying that she was out, then stopped and turned around. “You don’t suppose that… something could be coming, do you?” The man thought a few moments and then looked at her.

“I honestly don’t know,” he said. Marissa nodded and turned around, opening the door.

“Probably just my mind playing tricks on me,” she said lightly. The man stepped out behind her, waiting as she shut and locked the door. She then turned to him, smiling. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“We’ll be fine, whatever it is,” he said, kissing her cheek again. Marissa chuckled.

“Suppose that’s why I married you. Always so optimistic, aren’t you, Trevor?”


	21. Merlin Knows Best

Bridget stood at the small table in their shared room at the inn, looking over Gwen’s shoulder at the map they had laid out. She was in the middle of circling all the villages within a short distance of the ruins of Camelot as they plotted out a course to visit them all in the hopes that Trevor was either there or had passed through. They would set out in the morning.

“See? We still have some places to look,” Gwen said, smiling up at her. “Just because he’s not here doesn’t mean we won’t find him.” Bridget nodded, studying the map closely as Gwen explained the roads that they would take. She still felt a small sense of failure at not finding him in the first village, but she reminded herself that she had no way to know which place he would have gone. He had just mentioned that he was going to Camelot, after all.

“I hope that it does not take too long,” Bridget said.

“We’ll find him,” Gwen said again.

A knock at the door interrupted their planning session.

“Could you get that? It’s likely the owner with more towels,” Gwen said, turning back to the map. Bridget walked over and opened the door, unable to speak as she saw who stood there. It wasn’t the innkeeper, but rather Mordred. Or whatever name he currently went by.

“You’re here,” she said, her eyes going wide. He fidgeted slightly and nodded.

“Could I come in?” he asked. Bridget nodded and stepped back, letting him in. Gwen looked up from the table, a frown immediately on her face as the man began pacing. Bridget shut the door.

“What are you doing here?” Gwen asked, standing.

“I got your room number from Mrs. Martin. She’s friends with my mum,” he said, not looking at her. He then stopped pacing and looked at Bridget. “What did you do to me?”

“I did nothing,” Bridget said.

“You did! You, you… dosed me with something, didn’t you? I keep having these, these hallucinations. And they’re intense. I had to leave work early today because of them,” he said, stepping closer to her. “What did you do?”

Bridget looked over at Gwen, who shook her head no.

“What you wish does not matter anymore,” Bridget said. “He is remembering whether you want him to or not.”

“Remembering?” the man shouted. He then laughed haggardly. “Just what am I remembering?”

“Don’t Bridget,” Gwen said. Bridget looked at the man and stepped up to him, taking his face in her hands.

“They are not hallucinations. We did not give you anything. You are remembering your past life. Over time, all your memories will return to you and you will fully know who you are,” she said gently, but firmly.

“And who am I exactly?” he asked softly.

“You are Mordred,” Bridget said. “And we were… friends.”

“That’s not my name. It’s Lucas,” he said quickly, still not wanting to believe her.

“You are Lucas… and Mordred,” Bridget said again. “We first met over 1,500 years ago, as I said.”

“But… that’s impossible. I don’t believe in reincarnation or past lives,” he said.

“Whatever you believe does not matter. It is the truth,” Bridget said. Mordred stared at her a few moments, unable to speak.

“Are you a reincarnation as well?” he asked finally. Bridget smiled warmly and shook her head.

“I am an elf. We are immortal,” she said. Mordred just blinked, not sure what to make of it. Part of him felt like he was losing his mind. The other part thought that this woman had certainly lost hers. He wasn’t even sure why he had come here, only that he wanted an explanation and felt like these two women were the only ones who could give him one.

“What do you remember?” Gwen asked from the other side of the room. Bridget let go of Mordred as he looked over at the queen.

“I see… I see some sort of castle. And… I’m a knight, I think. I mean, I’ve got a sword and such,” he said. “There’s a king. Arthur.” He looked back at Bridget. “And I see you… you’re telling me about… growing up somewhere where it’s always winter.”

“My home, Geimhreadh. I told you of it when we were traveling together towards Ismere,” Bridget said.

“Were you my prisoner? I see you tied up,” Mordred asked, the look on his face clearly showing that he was not comfortable with the idea that he - whether it was in a past life or not - had willingly taken someone prisoner.

“I, well, I was for a time. The men you were with - they took me prisoner. But you helped me. Protected me. Or tried to, anyways,” Bridget said. Mordred continued to stare at her.

“That’s why, then,” he said.

“Why what?” Bridget asked.

“Every time I see you, I feel… it’s…” he fumbled with his words, looking down at his feet as his cheeks turned a shade of red. Bridget’s eyebrows rose.

“We were friends and fond of each other, yes,” she said, taking a step back from him. Gwen sighed as she sat back down and began rubbing her temples.

“I guess we have no choice then,” she said. “We have to take him back to the others. There’s no way we can leave him here now.”

“What others?” Mordred asked, looking over at her. “There’s more of you?”

“Yes,” Gwen said, though she didn’t offer an explanation for who they were.

“Yes, we must,” Bridget said, now smiling. “It is the only way for you to truly understand who you are.” Mordred appeared to be thinking it over. He looked over at Gwen, who was obviously frustrated with the turn of events. He then looked at Bridget, who was smiling hopefully.

“And these others… can they tell me more about what’s happening to me?” he asked.

“Yes, they can,” Bridget said. He looked to the ground a few moments before meeting her eyes.

“Alright. When do we leave?” he asked. Bridget looked over at Gwen and back at him.

“Tomorrow morn, if possible,” she said. He nodded.

“I can do that,” he said.

“We’ll set out around 9,” Gwen added. “We have to make a stop on the way back.”

“I’ll meet you two downstairs at 9, then,” he said. He then walked past Bridget and left.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Gwen said. Bridget looked over at her, frowning slightly. The mortal queen was glaring at her. “That is the man who killed my husband.”

“I know,” Bridget said. “I was there in battle. I tried to stop him.”

“You obviously failed,” Gwen snapped. Bridget looked to the ground.

“I know… I tried to get there in time… but I was too late,” she said, the old guilt rising up again. Even though he was back and it was over a thousand years ago, she still struggled with it. Not only that for Arthur, but the fact that she could not save Mordred as well. Gwen sighed.

“Sorry… I know you tried. As did everyone else,” Gwen replied. “It’s just… I can’t forget what Mordred did.” Bridget looked over at her.

“I know,” she said. “But… this could be a chance to save him. And I cannot ignore that.” Gwen studied her a few moments. “He once had a kind and good heart. I must believe that it’s still there. That he is not completely lost to darkness.” Gwen sighed heavily.

“I suppose if this is a second chance for one of us, it’s a second chance for all of us,” she said. “But if this goes bad, I am holding you fully responsible.”

“It is no trap. I sensed honesty in his words,” Bridget said.

“Very well. Let’s get some sleep. We’ll stop by one of the other villages on the way back to ask about Trevor,” she said. Bridget nodded as she set about to getting ready for bed. She couldn’t help as a small smile graced her lips. This was another chance and one that she wasn’t going to squander.

~~~

Elia moved quickly towards the door when she heard the chime go off, knowing who it would be. The one thing she wondered was how much of his memories he had regained since yesterday.

“Hey, Roger,” she said brightly, smiling as she saw him standing on the front step after opening the door. He smiled and held the tupperware out to her.

“Just wanted to return this,” he said. Elia accepted it.

“Thanks,” she said. She could sense he wanted to say something more as he shifted slightly on his feet. “Is there anything else I could help you with?”

“Ehm, actually, yes. I was wondering… is Leo home? I wanted to ask him something,” he said, nervously. “I mean… Clara said that he was in finance, and I’ve got some questions…” Elia nodded, expecting this though she was sure that he didn’t want to ask about finance. She stepped back and motioned him in.

“Sure, he’s in the dining room,” she said. He stepped in and stopped in the foyer, waiting as she shut the door. Elia then stepped in front of him and led him back. “Roger’s here!” she called out as they got nearer. Roger stepped into the room and stopped, his eyes falling on Arthur and Merlin, who were seated at the end of the large table covered in books and scrolls. The color drained from his face as silence reigned. Even Gwaine was quiet. Elia glanced nervously a Roger, er, Lancelot. Even in her thoughts, she wasn’t sure what to call him.

“Arthur,” he finally said. “And… Merlin?”

Elia’s eyes widened as she looked over at Merlin, a smile starting to appear. He had remembered more than she thought. Merlin slowly stood from the table as Lancelot walked around and threw his arms around the smaller man. Merlin started smiling as he met Elia’s eyes. Even Gwaine and Percival were grinning as they looked at each other.

Lancelot let go of the warlock and stepped back, looking at him.

“I don’t understand any of this, but it is good to see you again,” he said. “At least I think so, right?”

“Do you remember everything?” Merlin asked. Lancelot shook his head.

“No, not everything. After I left yesterday, I just had a feeling I knew you. So, I asked Clara for more information,” he said. “She couldn’t tell me much but… dunno… over the night and morning, it started trickling in…” Merlin grinned.

“There’s something we can do to help with that,” Merlin said. “We have to wait until tonight to do it.” Lancelot just smiled.

“Of course,” he said. He then turned to face Arthur, who slowly rose from his chair. The two men stared at each other as everyone tensed around them, wondering what would happen. It hadn’t been clear if Lancelot had known about the shade, though a look at the smile on his face made Elia think he probably didn’t.

An incredibly long time had passed and so much had happened between the last time they saw each other. And Arthur knew that it wasn’t the real Lancelot nor were Gwen’s affections towards him real. But they weren’t exactly sure how he would react though he knew all this. Arthur then smiled and put his hand out.

“It is good to see you again, Lancelot,” he said. Lancelot smiled and accepted his hand as Arthur pulled him in for a hug. Almost immediately, Gwaine was up on his feet, walking over to the newest addition, pulling him into a bear hug as soon as Arthur had let him go.

“He’s back!” he shouted as Lancelot laughed. He then turned and started out of the room. “We need alcohol!” Elia rolled her eyes as he walked past her. Not again. Lancelot looked around the room, taking in the new faces - Elia, Elidren, Cameron and Fianna.

“Does he seek alcohol for every occasion?” Elidren asked dryly as he looked back down at the book in front of him.

“That’s just Gwaine for you,” Elia replied. Lancelot looked over at Merlin, confused.

“You got married?” he asked. “When?” Merlin nodded as he smiled at Elia.

“May I introduce my wife, Elia, queen of the elves,” he said grandly. “And these are her kin - her cousin Elidren, and then Fianna and Cameron. We, ah, got married a rather long time ago...” Elidren glanced up at Lancelot and nodded, while Fianna and Cameron gave him warm smiles. Lancelot just blinked as he looked back at Merlin.

“Elves?” he asked.

“Yes, they are real,” Merlin said. Elidren snorted.

“Course we are,” he replied. Elia just rolled her eyes.

“So… are you…”

“I’ve been waiting… for over 1,500 years. With Elia. For Arthur’s return,” Merlin said. Lancelot frowned. “There’s a lot we need to fill you in on…”

“But first, wine!” Gwaine proclaimed as he walked back into the room, a bottle in each hand. Merlin just sighed as he smiled.

“You get started with this. I have a potion to prepare,” he said, walking out of the room. Elia turned to Lancelot.

“So… you’re the famous Lancelot…”

~~~

Bridget looked in the rearview mirror, watching Mordred as he stared out of the window at the passing countryside. She then glanced over at Gwen, who was tense as she drove. There had been silence ever since they set out, with Mordred, or Lucas, not bothering to ask questions when they stopped in a town for a few hours to go around speaking to shop owners and such about Trevor. He opted to stay in the car reading. And they had hit another dead end, but at least there were still more on the list.

While Bridget was used to silence, this was unnerving her slightly. She longed to speak with Mordred, but he did not seem to want to say anything just yet. She sighed softly and looked out the window.

“So… we were friends?” Mordred said, finally breaking the silence. Bridget met his eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Yes, we were,” she answered. “You were once friends with Gwen as well.” She glanced at the queen, who bristled slightly, but didn’t say anything.

“And I _was_ a knight?” he asked.

“You were. For King Arthur,” Bridget said. Mordred sat up slightly, the realization hitting him.

“Do you mean, _the_ King Arthur?” he asked. “That’s who we’re going to see?”

“Yes, and Merlin,” Bridget replied. Mordred looked over at Gwen.

“You… you’re Guinevere, then?” he asked, his eyes widening.

“I am,” Gwen said curtly. Mordred was silent a few moments, taking it in.

“Was I friends with him as well?” he asked suddenly. “Arthur? I remember him, though vaguely. And… I think we were friends…”

“You were,” Bridget said, seeing Gwen tense out of the corner of her eye. She was waiting for him to bring up something about Morgana or killing Arthur. Or magic. She was incredibly surprised that he had yet to mention anything about that. He was a druid and sorcerer after all.

“How long was I knight?” he asked.

“Not very long,” Gwen said. Mordred went quiet.

“Would you like to hear the story of how we met?” Bridget said, locking eyes with Mordred again. He nodded. “I was on my way north to… I was searching for someone. The men you were with, they attempted to catch me, but I got away. And then I ran into you.”

“Why was I traveling with them?” Mordred asked.

“I am not sure,” Bridget said. “You never told me… They were Saxons catching men to be sold into slavery. But you weren’t like that. You wanted to help me. And you protected me from them. I wasn’t the only person you helped while you were with the Saxons.” She turned in her seat to look back at him, noticing that he was staring down at his hands in his lap.

“Was I a good person?” he asked, glancing up at her.

“You were,” she replied. “You were very kind to me… and others.” Mordred glanced at her and then looked back out the window. He didn’t say anything for a long time, so she turned around to face the front again. She looked over at Gwen, who still had her eyes fixed on the road, seeming to be in deep contemplation. She glanced up at the rearview mirror, watching Mordred a few moments before looking back at the road.

Sighing, Bridget leaned against the window.

This was going to be a long ride.

~~~

Elia stood next to Merlin in the dark garden. Everyone was there, eager to have all of Lancelot’s memories back. While he remembered a decent amount in such a short time, there were still various holes that he and everyone were eager to fill.

He had spent the afternoon drinking with Gwaine and Percival while Merlin prepared the potion. Elia had spoken with him as well, filling him in on her life with Merlin. They had yet to broach the topic of the prophecy and what happened to Arthur after Lancelot had died. They figured that was best left for until after he had all of his memories.

Merlin stepped up and held out the bottle. Lancelot took it, staring at it a moment before looking up at the warlock.

“Doesn’t taste that great but does the trick,” Gwaine said from where he stood next to Percival, wine glass in hand. Lancelot took a deep breath and then pulled out the stopper.

“Bottoms up,” he said. He held up the bottle in a salute and was about to bring it to his lips.

“Arthur!? Where are you?”

He stopped as the group turned to look towards the open patio door. They waited until Gwen stepped out. Her eyes widened as she saw Lancelot standing there.

“Oh god,” she said.

“Gwen,” he said, smiling. She continued to stare at him, seemingly frozen.

“You’re back,” she said finally.

“I am, though… just about to get the rest of my memories,” he said, holding up the bottle.

“He was next door,” Arthur said. Gwen looked over at him and then walked over to his side. “The neighbor’s cousin.”

“What luck,” she said awkwardly, looking back to Lancelot. Elia looked at Gwen and then back to the door.

“Where’s Trevor?” she asked, a smile starting to form as she walked towards it, thinking that he would walk through at any moment.

“Ehm… we didn’t find him,” she said. “We found someone else.” Elia stopped and looked over at her, frowning.

“Who?” she asked. She looked over to the patio door, seeing Bridget appear. There was someone just behind her. The elf stepped out and to the side, looking back to the man. There was a collective gasp as Mordred stepped out and looked around the group. Only Lancelot - having died before Mordred became a knight - was confused rather than tense.

Arthur clenched his fist as a scowl came over his face.

“You brought him here?” he said, his voice low.

“He means no harm,” Bridget said, quickly moving to stand in front of Mordred should he need the protection. Arthur looked as though he were ready to kill him with his bare hands.

“I can’t believe you brought him here,” Gwaine shouted, frowning. He started towards the confused young man, but Percival stopped him, holding him back. Mordred looked at the two and then back at Arthur, confused.

“You’re Arthur,” he said. “I… I was told that we used to be friends. And… I think I remember you.” There was silence in the garden. Elia looked back and forth between Arthur and Mordred, wondering just what was going to happen.

“He only remembers being a knight,” Bridget said. The group glanced around at each other, taking the news in. He didn’t remember killing Arthur or wanting revenge. “He does not know who he truly is.”

“I only came here because I want answers,” Mordred said. He glanced at Bridget. “And I was told that you could help me.” Elia looked at Merlin, who glanced down at her. She reached over and squeezed his hand. He sighed.

“Bridget, why don’t you take him inside to get something to eat. We’ll be there in just a moment,” he said. Bridget nodded and walked back inside, taking Mordred with her. Once the druid was gone, Merlin let out the breath he had been holding.

“That was unexpected,” Merlin said. He looked over at Arthur, who was still scowling at where Mordred had just been standing. He then looked down at Gwen.

“Why would you bring him here?” he asked.

“Because… it was better than leaving him out there. Where Morgana could potentially find him,” she said. “He doesn’t remember that he’s a sorcerer. Or that he killed you.”

“And what happens when he finally remembers?” Arthur nearly shouted. “When he tries to kill me again!”

“We don’t know that he will,” Gwen said. Arthur furrowed his brow.

“What makes you think that?” he asked.

“He seems… he’s like he was before all that,” she said. “I’ll admit, I was against it in the beginning, but… perhaps this is a second chance… a chance to save him from himself. And from Morgana.”

Arthur was silent as he looked down at her. He glanced towards the house and then back down at her.

“Do you really think that?” he asked. She shrugged.

“Bridget seems to think so,” she said. Arthur took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He looked over at Merlin who just shrugged.

“It’s worth a shot,” he said. A throat cleared, getting all of their attention. They looked back at Lancelot, who held up a bottle.

“Ehm, I don’t mean to interrupt, but…”

Merlin shook his head.

“Right. Okay. One thing at a time… let’s get this done and then we can deal with the Mordred problem…”


	22. God(dess) Help Mordred

Elia looked around the garden at everyone gathered there. They had gone in and spoken to Mordred, confirming the few memories he did have and the fact that he didn’t have magic, nor did he know that he used to have it. They then left him eating with Bridget while they convened outside to discuss what to do. Lancelot was on the sofa in the den, recovering from the spell.

“He’s not a threat for now, at least,” Gwaine said, though he didn’t seem entirely convinced of this.

“But he could be once his memories return,” Arthur said. “Once he remembers that he killed me, he could try to do it again or seek out Morgana.”

“We don’t know that,” Elia said, earning a glare from Arthur.

“What’s more, his magic could return as well,” he continued. Elia glanced over at the elves, who were emotionless. She then looked over at Merlin, who was slowly pacing. They had spent hours discussing what to do about Morgana and the appearance of Mordred seemed to add another layer to their problem. She sighed and looked back at Arthur.

“We can’t give him his memories back. Not yet, anyway,” Arthur said, looking at Merlin, who continued pacing.

“But doesn’t he have the right to know who he is?” Elia asked.

“He killed me,” Arthur stated, narrowing his eyes at her.

“The king is right to be cautious,” Elidren said. Elia looked over at him. “He could very well pick up where he left off once he knows what that is.”

“You saw him! Right now, he’s a scared, confused kid!” she nearly shouted, motioning towards the door.

“But he won’t be for long,” Arthur said.

“What if we’re going about this the wrong way,” Elia said. Everyone looked at her. “What if instead of fighting, this is a chance to convince Morgana and Mordred that we’re not the enemy? That we could work together.” There was silence.

“You honestly think that we could convince them not to fight?” Arthur said, raising an eyebrow at her.

“I know… it sounds mad, but… perhaps this is a chance for a, a re-do,” Elia pressed, speaking more quickly as the idea fleshed itself out in her head. “I mean, it does sort of make sense…”

“A… re-do?” Arthur asked.

“Yes. A chance to reconcile,” Elia said. “A chance to undo all the hatred that led to the last war.” Arthur barked in laughter.

“You seriously think that I could reconcile with Morgana or even Mordred? They wanted to kill me!” he said.

“Only because they thought you wanted to kill them!” Elia retorted. Arthur glared at her. “Perhaps if you offered them reconciliation, they would take it this time. It’s not like before. You’ve accepted magic!”

“They are beyond reasoning with,” he said shortly.

“But it’s possible!” Elia retorted. “You forget that they’ve lived entire lives as someone else. Perhaps they aren’t who they used to be.”

“No, it’s not,” Arthur said sternly before starting to walk off.

“Where are you going?” Elia asked.

“To think in quiet,” he replied without turning around. Elia sighed as Gwaine shot her a look and moved to follow him, Percival and Gwen just behind him.

“I’m not mad,” Elia said to the remaining people there. Elidren just stared at her before silently leaving, Cameron and Fianna following him. Elia looked at Merlin. “It could work!”

“Maybe?” he said. “To be honest, I’m not sure what the right thing to do here is.”

“You know we should give him his memories back. He’s going to gain them all eventually anyway,” she said. Merlin sighed heavily.

“For now, I’m with Arthur on that. We should wait,” he said. “Until we can determine how much of a threat he’ll be.”

“He’s obviously no threat at the moment,” she complained.

“Because he doesn’t remember anything,” Merlin countered. He walked over to her and took her in his arms. “You have a good heart, Lia. I know that’s why you want to do this, but we need to be careful. He did kill Arthur.” Elia finally met his eyes and sighed.

“Fine,” she said, relenting. “But I stand by what I said. We should try reconciling.”

“We’ll see,” he said before kissing her forehead. She leaned against his chest and looked into the house, seeing the elves congregated just inside. It was starting to feel a bit suffocating with everyone there. Looking up at Merlin, she got an idea.

“You up for a walk?”

~~~

“Why are we going down here now?” Merlin asked, making his way through the trees and underbrush towards the lake.

“Wanted to get away and get some quiet away from everyone. And they all seem to be in and out of the cellar lately so that was out,” Elia replied, stepping out onto the lakeshore and looking around. “Besides, thought maybe we could try summoning Freya since we haven’t had a chance to try yet.”

“She not a dog. She won’t come unless she wants to,” he replied, looking out at the water.

“Or maybe you don’t want to see her,” Elia said, glancing back at him.

“Why would I not want to see her?” Merlin said, frowning at her.

“She is your ex-girlfriend,” Elia said, a small smirk on her face. Merlin sighed.

“It’s been a long time, Lia. I’m sure she would have forgiven me for moving on and getting married,” he said. Elia just shrugged and walked up to the waterline, staring out at the calm, glass-like surface.

“But you have to admit, getting the sword back would put Arthur in a better mood,” she mused.

“Though you were all for reconciliation,” he replied.

“I am… but I’m also about getting Arthur to at least come back to the table to discuss it. And he would be more willing if he were happier. And the sword back would make him happier,” she stated.

“Likely,” Merlin said, stepping up to her side. “Suppose it’s worth a try.” Elia stepped away from him, turning to watch as he called out in another language, his eyes flashing. She then looked out to the water, both of them waiting.

Nothing happened.

Merlin tried again a few more times saying different things before sighing.

“I don’t think she’s coming,” he said, the defeat evident in his voice. Elia grabbed his hand and led him over to a log, pulling him down to sit with her.

“Maybe it’s not the right time,” she said. “Or maybe it _is_ because I’m here.”

“Not sure what it is,” Merlin said. “Or perhaps the sword is just… forever lost to us.” Elia nodded as she leaned on his shoulder.

“Arthur won’t be happy about that,” she said.

“We have other swords,” Merlin replied.

“Yea, but none of them are a dragon blade,” Elia said. “If Morgana has her magic back, it’s the only thing that can kill her.”

“Again. What happened to reconciliation?” Merlin said, looking down at her.

“I do think we should try, but never hurts to be prepared for the worse,” Elia said. Merlin looked back out at the water, wondering if there was any way to get the sword back. “We’ll figure this out - whether it comes down to a fight or we work things out.”

“I know,” Merlin said with a sigh. “But it’s the fight I’m worried about.”

“I do think we should try with Mordred, at least,” she said. “He seems… different.”

“They all seemed different before they got their memories back fully,” Merlin said.

“Yes and no. I mean, I still see a lot of Elizabeth in Gwen, even though she’s Gwen. It’s the same with Percival. And Gwaine… well, I think he was the same as Ian,” she said. “But with Mordred… He seems rather worried that he was a bad person or did something to hurt others before… Maybe when he regains his memories, he’ll still have that good side of Lucas… and it’s not like he was always bad…”

“You think?” Merlin asked. Elia shrugged.

“Worth a shot, don’t you think?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “A vision would be nice around now.” Elia chuckled softly.

“You know we can’t control them,” she said, glancing up at him. “If there was a way, I would have figured it out by now.”

“Yea…” he said. Elia wrapped her arms around him.

“If I can suggest something, at least,” she said.

“What?”

“At least get Arthur to try talking to Mordred,” she said, looking up at him. Merlin sighed and nodded.

“I’ll try.”

~~~

Bridget walked out into the garden just behind Lucas. She had nearly called him Mordred several times already, but kept reminding herself that for now, he was Lucas. She had been tasked with watching him as the others still did not trust him. While Gwen had spoken up for him, she was still hesitant to fully accept his presence. The elves were cautious. Arthur, Gwaine and Percival were outright against him being there.

But the more she spoke with him, the more she thought that this time could be different. That he could still be saved, even with all his memories back.

“This is… the most incredible garden I’ve ever seen,” Lucas said, looking around. Bridget quickly recognized several plants and flowers that only grew within the elven kingdoms. Elia and Merlin must have used magic to help them grow.

“It is magical,” Bridget said, stepping up to his side. He looked at her, eyes wide. “This bloom… it usually only grows in our kingdoms.” Lucas bent over to study it.

“How is it growing here?” he asked.

“It can only flourish where there is magic. As Elia is an elf and Merlin is a sorcerer, there is magic in this place,” Bridget said. Lucas straightened up, shaking his head.

“Still can’t wrap my head around all of this,” he said, the awe apparent in his voice. “Just… King Arthur and his knights. Elves. The fact that magic is real.” Bridget studied him. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him who he truly was, but she had sworn to the others that she would not. Not yet, anyway. She had already decided that if they tarried on it too long, she would divulge everything. He looked over at her. “Did you teach me about magic back then?” She shook her head.

“You already knew of it,” she replied, finding it a safe enough answer. He nodded and looked back at the flowers.

“So, what were you back then? A warrior of sorts?” he asked.

“I was… a lady’s maid to Queen Elia. And yes, a warrior as well. But then I went to work in the armory,” she said, glossing over why she had switched professions. She couldn’t risk mentioning Morgana just yet. But she hoped that once he regained his memories, she could use their shared experience to convince him not to join her again.

“Wait… so Elia is a queen?” Lucas asked.

“She is the last elf queen and the savior of our kind,” Bridget said solemnly. Mordred just turned to look at the garden again, letting it sink in. He then frowned slightly.

“I remember… I was once close to Merlin… I think… he did something for me. Every time I look at him, I feel this great sense of gratitude,” he said.

“He and Arthur did help save you once,” Bridget said, though she immediately regretted it. It could open up a line of questioning that would get dangerously close to the truth the others did not yet want him to know.

“I don’t think Arthur likes me,” Mordred said. “Why?” He looked at her, his eyes full of genuine concern. “Did I do something to him?” Bridget looked to the ground, unsure of how to reply to him.

“You did have a disagreement, though it is not my place to speak of it,” she finally replied. Mordred nodded.

“Fair enough,” he said. “Though… I feel I should apologize. Even if I don’t remember it.” Bridget looked over at him again, sensing the truth in his words. “And, well, suppose I should be thanking you.”

“Me?” Bridget asked. Mordred smiled slightly. Even though it was dark, Bridget could see the slight blush coming into his cheeks.

“Yea, you’re the only one who seems to want to help me,” he said. “Well… you and Elia.”

“As I said, you showed me great kindness in a time of need. I only wish to repay that debt,” she said, feeling her own cheeks heat up. Mordred nodded.

“Makes all this a bit easier. Having a… friend,” he said.

“I will always be your friend,” Bridget found herself saying. And she truly meant it. Mordred looked over at her, meeting her eyes finally. She couldn’t explain it, but there was a stirring of something in her heart. Something she had never felt before. For some reason, she found herself wishing to move closer. She took a tentative step closer as he turned to face her. Her heartbeat sped up as a curious warmth ran through her.

“Bridget! We need you!” a voice called out in the elven tongue. Both turned to look towards the back door, seeing a frowning Cameron standing there. Bridget bowed slightly.

“Yes, I am coming,” she replied. With one last scowl, Cameron turned and walked back inside.

“Is that your language? Elven?” Mordred asked. Bridget looked over at him and nodded. “Do you think… could you teach it to me? It sounds rather beautiful. And I’ve always had a thing for learning languages.” Bridget felt a flurry of butterflies in her stomach. He had asked her the same thing the first time they met. She smiled slightly.

“Perhaps,” she said. “But if you’ll excuse me, I am needed with the others.” She nodded to him and then turned, striding inside.

“Careful, Bridget. He is the enemy,” Cameron said, his expression dark as he leaned against the wall just inside the door.

“He can be saved,” she replied before turning and walking towards the stairs.

~~~

The next day, Merlin walked over to the guest cottage, curious as to why Arthur, Gwen and the knights hadn’t joined the others for breakfast that morning. Lancelot had returned to his cousin’s house later the night before, though said he’d be by later on. The meal had been a tense one with Elidren silently watching Mordred the whole time while Cameron openly glared at him. Thankfully, Elia, Bridget and Fianna had kept up a relatively steady stream of pleasant conversation, genuinely interested in what he had been up to in his years as Lucas.

“Hello?” Merlin called out, stepping into the cottage that overlooked the back garden. He heard shuffling and stepped into the kitchen, finding Arthur seated at the table with the knights, while Gwen was taking dishes to the sink.

“What brings you here, Merlin?” Arthur asked, looking up at him.

“Though we could talk,” Merlin said, smiling slightly. Arthur didn’t seem so happy, likely guessing what Merlin wanted to discuss. He glanced at Gwaine and Percival before standing and walking from the table towards the cozy living room. Once there, he turned to face Merlin.

“Take it this is about Mordred,” he said with a sigh. “Don’t tell me Elia’s convinced you to give him his memories back.”

“No, well, she’s tried... but I tend to think we’ll need to eventually,” he replied. Arthur narrowed his eyes at the warlock. “Hear me out, Arthur. He’s going to get them back at some point. Wouldn’t it be better to do it under circumstances that we can control?”

“Do you or do you not remember when he killed me?” Arthur asked.

“But perhaps Elia is right… this could be a chance to make amends,” Merlin said. Arthur just stared at him.

“I didn’t do anything,” Arthur said. Merlin sighed.

“You did execute the woman he loved,” he said. Arthur’s scowl deepened. “Yes, I know. You offered her clemency that she refused, but perhaps if you spoke to him, and-”

“I think he owes me the apology,” Arthur said. Merlin ran his fingers through his hair.

“Nothing is going to be resolved if you ignore him,” Merlin said. Arthur stared at him a few moments before nodding slightly.

“Fine. I’ll speak with him. But don’t think that this means I will agree to returning his memories,” Arthur replied. Merlin smiled, thankful that he had gotten at least that much out of him. Arthur then strode out of the room and towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Merlin asked, following him.

“To speak with Mordred,” Arthur said without looking at him. “Best to get it over with.” Merlin’s eyes widened as he trotted to catch up with him. As they walked into the garden, he noticed Elia sitting there with Bridget and Mordred drinking coffee. She looked over and smiled, taking this as good news. She quickly stood.

“Morning, Arthur,” she said. “Missed you at breakfast.” Arthur scowled at her before settling his gaze on the young man. Mordred nervously stood, glancing over at Bridget, who offered him an encouraging smile.

“Remember anything new?” Arthur asked brusquely.

“Not much,” Mordred said. “Just… I feel like I owe you an apology for… something.” Arthur’s eyes widened as he glanced over at Merlin, who just shrugged. “I can’t seem to remember what it was that I did, but… I do feel badly about it.” Arthur studied him a moment, unsure of what he was getting at. He looked over at Elia, who nodded slightly, letting him know that Mordred was being truthful.

“You killed me,” Arthur said bluntly. Mordred’s eyes widened.

“I, what?” he said. Elia rolled her eyes. When she suggested that Arthur talk to Mordred, this wasn’t what she had in mind.

“What he means to say is, you two had a falling out which led to you turning on him,” Merlin said, hoping to ease a bit of the sting of it. Not that it helped much. Elia shook her head, dropping her face to her hand.

“I killed you?” Mordred asked, completely in shock. “What? How are you even standing here?”

“There’s a lot more to the story than that. And well… there was a prophecy that he would return, which he has. Hence why everyone else is being reincarnated,” Elia said, frowning at Arthur as she crossed her arms in front of her. “And this is not what I meant by talking to him.” Arthur turned his glare to the elf queen.

“I guess now I understand why you hate me so much,” Mordred said glumly. “Christ, I don’t even know why I’m here now.” The group looked over at him, noting that he suddenly appeared completely deflated, sitting down in the chair. He rubbed his face and looked up at Arthur. “I’m so sorry, mate.”

Arthur just blinked, his mouth falling slightly open at the apology.

“I don’t even know why, but… the thought of killing someone… makes me sick to think about it,” he continued. Arthur looked at Merlin and then back at Mordred. Elia smirked slightly. Mordred looked up at him. “I’m so sorry.”

Arthur opened and closed his mouth a few times before turning and walking away, leaving the four in the garden.

“He must really hate me,” Mordred said forlornly, watching Arthur walk away.

“I don’t think it’s hatred,” Merlin said, looking over at him. “You two had a complicated relationship in the end. You were close until the falling out… I think part of it is guilt for how things turned out.” Mordred frowned slightly as he looked at the warlock.

“Is anyone going to actually tell me what happened?” he asked. Elia and Merlin glanced at each other, both thinking the same thing. “Why did I kill him?”

“I think it’s best that Arthur tell you that story,” Merlin said. Elia rolled her eyes again, thinking that would likely never happen. Mordred nodded and looked down at his hands. Bridget reached out and placed a comforting hand on his arm, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Elia.

“It will all work out,” she said softly, offering him a smile.

“I’m not so sure that it will,” he said glumly.

“Chin up, Mordred, er, Lucas. We’re not done yet,” Elia said, looking towards the cottage. “We’ll get him to come around.”

“Elia,” said Merlin in warning. Elia just rolled her eyes and turned to go back into the manor.

“We have work to do, Merlin,” she said without turning around. Merlin huffed slightly and started to follow her in, though not before casting a worried glance at the cottage. This was turning out to be a mess.


	23. If I Never Knew You

Later in the day, Bridget found Elia upstairs in her private study, going through Faeranduil’s journals. After spending a few uncomfortable hours in the dining room with the others - Gwaine kept giving her looks as though she were a traitor - she had gone upstairs to get away from it. Arthur remained at the cottage with Gwen.

“My lady?” Bridget said, standing in the doorway. Elia looked up from her desk, smiling at her.

“What is it, Bridget?” she asked. Bridget stepped into the room, looking around at the many photographs and souvenirs from the long life the queen had lived with the warlock. She was a bit overwhelmed by it. Bridget stepped over, looking up at a large photograph of the two, their arms wrapped around each other as they gazed into each other’s eyes. There was the stirring within her again.

“That’s one of my favorites,” Elia said, standing and walking over to stand next to Bridget and looking up at the photo. “It’s from the 60s.” Bridget nodded, unable to speak for a moment. Elia glanced at her. “You’ve been getting pretty close to Mordred.” Bridget blushed slightly.

“Someone needs to look after him,” she said. “And I feel he needs a friend right now.”

“How’s he doing after this morning’s revelation?” Elia asked. Bridget sighed.

“Not well. He is terribly upset over the fact that he killed someone. Especially someone that was once a friend - even if he doesn’t remember everything,” Bridget said.

“I’m sure that’s rough,” she replied.

“I feel that it is of the utmost importance that his memories be returned,” Bridget said, turning to face the queen. Elia nodded.

“I agree. It’s convincing the others that’s the issue. I tried last night, but they think he could be dangerous once he knows the full truth. And that he could possibly regain his magic,” she said, frowning slightly. “That it’s safer for now to keep him in the dark of his true past.”

“Why do you think he does not have magic?” Bridget asked. Elia shrugged.

“That I don’t know,” she said. “Perhaps because he doesn’t remember it… but we don’t know if giving him his memories back with allow for it to return. Not until we do it, that is.” Bridget nodded, turning her attention back to the photograph. Elia glanced at her, sensing a shift in her demeanor. “What is it, Bridget?” The blonde elf glanced at her, knowing that she could not hide her feelings from the queen. “You grow fond of him.”

“I do,” she admitted, feeling her cheeks heat up. “Is it wrong of me?” Elia smiled softly.

“Bridget, if anyone understands that the heart wants what it wants, it would be me,” she replied. “I too fell in love with a warlock.”

“It is not love,” Bridget said quickly, her eyes wide. “I mean… I am not sure what this is…” Elia laughed softly.

“If it’s not, then it very well could go that way,” she said.

“Cameron senses it,” Bridget said, frowning.

“So? Do you care for him?” she asked bluntly, crossing her arms in front of her.

“I do… but not in the way he cares for me,” Bridget said. “I… he’s asked for my hand a few times, but… I did not feel ready for such a commitment. Not with him…” Elia nodded slowly. She had sensed as much. Though it was a surprise to learn that Bridget had begun developing feelings for Mordred. That was unexpected, though perhaps could work in their favor if they returned his memories.

“I will do what I can with the others, but for you… I would just… go with it. See where things lead,” she said, starting to smile. Bridget frowned again.

“Go with it, my lady?” she asked.

“Yes. Keep talking to Mordred. Get to know him. And… see where that leads,” she replied.

“But… he is not an elf,” Bridget said softly. Elia snorted and began laughing.

“Do you honestly think that matters now?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I suppose not,” Bridget admitted. “I mean… you’ve married a warlock and no one seems to mind.”

“Precisely,” Elia said. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll work out.”

“And if it’s not?” Bridget asked. Elia sighed.

“Unfortunately, heartache is a part of life - no matter where you are,” she said. Bridget nodded.

“Then I will… see where it goes,” she said, trying out the phrase.

“Good.”

~~~

Later, Elia walked out into the garden, finding Mordred and Bridget there. The younger elf was taking her role as his guard and protector quite seriously, though now Elia knew there was more to it. She balanced a tray of lemonade and walked over, setting it on the table and causing Mordred to jump slightly, not hearing her walk up.

“You lot are rather quiet when you move,” he said, settling back into the chair.

“Comes with many, many years of practice,” Elia replied with a smile as she set about to giving the two glasses. She then took a third and sat in the chair next to him.

“Just how long have you been alive?” Mordred asked, studying her.

“About 2,000 years, give or take,” Elia replied lightly, watching as his eyes widened.

“How?” he asked.

“Easy. We’re immortal,” Elia said, glancing at Bridget. “How are the memories coming?”

“Still not a lot,” Mordred said. “I get glimpses of things here and there. Feelings.” He glanced nervously towards Bridget. “But nothing solid.” Elia studied him closely, sensing that he wasn’t hiding anything from her. He was genuinely confused by everything. And she could sense a sadness there, likely because of the news that he had killed Arthur.

“You’re taking it well for the most part,” Elia said. “Gwen thought we were mental. As did Gwaine. Percival seemed to come around quickly enough, though.”

“And Lancelot?” Mordred asked.

“He came to us after 24 hours with enough memories intact to not think we were mental,” she said.

“I honestly thought I was going mad in the beginning,” he admitted. “But… why is it taking so long for mine to return?”

“We don’t really know why,” Elia admitted. “There’s not a whole lot that we know about it and it seems to vary by person. Gwen’s came slowly as well. Took her a few days of dreams and then one large hallucination before she sought us out.” Mordred nodded slowly, seeming to contemplate the information. “What else have you remembered?”

“I remember you,” he said, looking over at her. “Ehm, well. I’ve seen glimpses of you. Not much.”

“Makes sense. I wasn’t in Camelot that much back then,” she said. “We elves mostly stuck to The Willows.”

“Then why do I remember more of Bridget?” Mordred asked, causing the elf in question to choke a bit on her lemonade. Elia chuckled softly.

“You spent more time together. Had a friendship that you maintained through letters,” she replied.

“Why did I kill Arthur?” he asked suddenly, throwing Elia off, though she should have expected it. She sighed. “I just wish someone would tell me.” Elia frowned as she looked down at her glass.

“I wasn’t in Camelot when it started,” she said. “But Merlin wrote to me about it…” Mordred looked over at her, frowning. She stopped speaking, worried about what she should tell him. Before she could continue, Mordred sat up and ran his fingers through his curls.

“I just… I wish I could remember,” he said, the pain evident on his face. “Sometimes I feel like it’s almost there… But then… it’s gone. Sometimes, I think I _am_ going mad.” Elia swallowed, watching him. “And… I wish there was something I could do to… make it up to him… Though honestly… what do you do to make up for killing a bloke?”

After a few moments, Elia stood, putting her glass on the table, and striding towards the guest cottage, a look of determination on her face.

“Where are you going?” Bridget asked.

“To convince the load of blockheads inside to give him his memories back.”

~~~

Arthur just glared at Elia after she burst into the cottage, shouting that they should return Mordred’s memories yet again, interrupting the discussion he had been having with Merlin and the knights.

“I thought we decided it was best to wait,” Merlin said, glancing nervously between his wife - who was glaring just as strongly - and his best friend. This had epic battle written all over it.

“He’s going to get them back eventually,” Elia said. “And he seems genuinely remorseful.” Arthur didn’t say anything, just looked down at his hands.

“We can’t trust what he’ll do,” Gwaine replied.

“But wouldn’t it be better if he had them and we kept him close?” Elia asked. “That we controlled the factors around him getting them back and before Morgana finds him?”

“I’m sure Arthur rather enjoys being alive,” Gwaine retorted. Elia rolled her eyes.

“If you haven’t noticed, there are a load of knights and elves here. Plus, Merlin - who is far more powerful than Mordred ever was. I’m fairly sure that we are more than capable of protecting him,” she said with a huff.

“What good will come from returning his memories?” Gwaine asked, standing from his chair. “Why do you want to do this?” Elia turned her attention to Arthur, who was still silent. She was starting to get rather angry about it.

“Because! I just… I get a feeling that it’ll be different this time around. But only if you’re willing to leave the past in the past,” she shouted at the king, who wouldn’t meet her eyes. “For god’s sake, look at me, Arthur!” He glanced up.

“We don’t know-” Gwaine started.  
  


“Yes, I know. We’re not sure what he’ll do when he gets them, but wouldn’t you rather find out now than later? What’s the use of just waiting around for his memories to return when we can control the situation now,” Elia said, cutting him off as she turned her glare towards him. Her nostrils flared as she looked back at Arthur. “Are you really that afraid?!”

The room was silent as the two stared at each other, no one wanting to step into the middle of the argument. Arthur finally stood, taking a deep breath.

“We’ll do the spell tonight,” he said, finally speaking. Elia’s eyes widened, not expecting him to give in so easily. But it looked as though something had been weighing heavily on him. She then blinked and started to smile as she looked over at Merlin.

“Are you mad?” Gwaine shouted looking over at Arthur. “What if he tries to kill you again?!”

“As I said, we’ll protect him,” Elia shouted back.

“Prepare the potion,” Arthur said before walking out of the room. Gwaine groaned slightly and sat back down on the sofa, glaring at Elia.

“If this goes wrong, I’m holding you responsible,” he said.

“This will be fine,” Elia said, glancing towards the stairs. She then looked over at Merlin, noticing his worried look. He stepped over to her and kissed her cheek.

“I’ll go talk to him,” he said softly in her ear before leaving and walking towards the stairs. He quickly made his way to Gwen and Arthur’s room, knocking on the open door. Arthur was standing in the window that overlooked the garden, his back to Merlin. “Arthur?”

“What, Merlin?” he asked, not turning around. Merlin stepped into the room but stopped.

“Are you really okay with this?” he asked. Arthur sighed.

“He’s going to get his memories back eventually,” he said half-heartedly. Merlin walked up and noticed that he was watching Bridget and Mordred as they walked through the garden, the elf stopping to point at various plants and flowers. A sense of wonder was on Mordred’s face as he looked back and forth between the elf and the plants. Arthur glanced over at his best friend. “Do you think that he’s really changed?” Merlin looked out the window, watching Mordred.

“I think… I think this time could be different,” he said. “Elia has a point… this could be a chance to… undo the hatred…and he did seem genuinely remorseful earlier.”

“But he doesn’t know why,” Arthur said, frowning. “What happens when he finds out what I did?”

“You gave Kara a chance. It’s not your fault that she refused,” Merlin replied. Arthur glanced at him.

“But you were right… she was manipulated by Morgana… perhaps there’s more I could have done,” Arthur said. Merlin sighed and shook his head.

“There’s nothing that you can do about it now but try and move passed it,” he said.

“And you used to be so wary of him. Never thought you’d end up being Mordred’s champion,” Arthur said.

“I never thought I would as well,” Merlin said. With one more worried look at Arthur, he turned towards the door. “I’ll get to work on the potion.” Arthur nodded. Merlin walked out, stopping at the door a moment, and looking back in.

He hoped that this did work.

~~~

“So… I just drink this and my memories will come back?” Mordred asked, staring at the bottle in his hand that night.

“I have to do a spell as well, but yea,” Merlin said, glancing nervously at Arthur standing next to him. He thought it would be better if he had been inside for this, but the king was insistent on watching. Gwaine and Percival stood at either side of Mordred, nearly dwarfing him, just in case he made some sort of move towards Arthur after having his memories returned. Bridget was nearby as well, concern clearly written on her face. She was wondering if they should have told him about what happened between him and Arthur before proceeding with the spell.

Only Elia seemed completely comfortable with the current situation, standing at Merlin’s other side calmly watching Mordred.

“It’ll take a few seconds,” she said. “And you’re likely to be disoriented. You won’t forget your life as Lucas, but you’ll have all the memories of your past life as Mordred on top of them.”

The young man gulped and nodded, eyeing the bottle again. Now that the moment had arrived for him to get his memories back, he was suddenly rather nervous about it. Did he really want to remember what he had done?

“Here goes nothing,” he muttered before downing the potion. Merlin quickly performed the spell and silence filled the garden as they all watched and waited.

Mordred bent over, coughing and breathing heavily as he focused on the ground before him while things settled in his mind. Merlin cast a worried glance at Arthur, who crossed his arms in front of him. Mordred then looked up and around the group, his eyes glowing slightly. Supposed that answered the question of whether he would regain his magic. Merlin couldn’t help but take a step towards him, ready to step in with magic should he need to.

Mordred then settled his sight on Arthur, several emotions clearly fighting for control. There was pain and anger. But then guilt. He shook his head as he looked at the ground, bringing his hands up to his head as though it hurt terribly.

“Mordred?” Bridget asked cautiously. Mordred looked back up at Arthur.

“You killed her!” he shouted, starting to lunge for him. Gwaine and Percival quickly restrained him as Gwaine shot a glare Elia’s way, as if to say, “I told you so.”

“Mordred! Calm yourself,” Bridget said, rushing to stand in front of him, partly to shield Arthur and partly to shield the young warlock. Mordred looked at her, his eyes going wide. He blinked a few times as his memories of the elf took root.

“Bridget?” he asked. She smiled and nodded, reaching out to touch his cheek.

“Let go of your anger,” she said.

“But he killed Kara,” he said. Bridget frowned slightly.

“He offered her a way out,” Merlin called out. Mordred looked over at him, frowning again. “If she repented for her crimes, he wasn’t going to execute her.”

“I don’t believe you,” he spat, though some of his anger was starting to dissipate.

“He’s accepted magic. He doesn’t want to kill you or anyone else like you,” Elia added. “He knows about Merlin now. Has accepted him. You’ve seen that much.” Mordred looked at Merlin, watching as he nodded. He then looked over at Arthur.

“Is it true?” he asked. Arthur took a deep breath and nodded.

“I didn’t want to execute her. Merlin convinced me that I should offer Kara another chance. That she wasn’t evil, just… manipulated by Morgana. I offered her one… but she refused,” he said, a slight bit of pain coming into his eyes. Mordred stopped struggling and stood there, looking to the ground.

“She always was stubborn,” he said softly.

“You don’t have to be fearful anymore. Nor do you need to hold onto your anger,” Bridget said softly. “You can let it go… this is a new chance.” She looked over at Arthur, pleading silently for him to say something to reassure Mordred.

“A new chance for what?” Mordred asked, looking up at her. Bridget continued to look at Arthur.

“To make amends. Renew broken bonds,” she said. Elia looked over at Arthur, watching as he walked up towards Mordred.

“Let him go,” Arthur said.

“You can’t be serious,” Gwaine said.

“Are you sure?” Percival asked. Arthur nodded, his eyes not leaving Mordred’s as Bridget stepped aside. He was opening himself up. It wouldn’t take much for Mordred to use magic to kill him if he wanted.

“I… I am sorry for what happened to Kara. I wish there had been another way,” Arthur said slowly.

“You could have shown mercy,” Mordred said.

“She killed innocents,” Arthur replied, frowning. “If she had just… shown remorse…” Mordred stepped away and started pacing, running his hands through his hair again. He then glanced over at Bridget, once again different emotions flying across his face.

“I don’t know what to believe,” he said, looking back over at Arthur.

“It is the truth,” Bridget said softly. He looked at her again. Arthur stepped up to him.

“I would like… I hope that perhaps we can…” he stopped, unsure of how to continue. “I’m sorry, Mordred.” The young warlock looked over at him, his eyes wide. He had not expected the king to apologize. “The truth is… something is coming, but we don’t know what it is. And we could use your help. If you are willing to give it.” Arthur held his hand out to him. “And I hope that perhaps we can once again be the friends that we used to be.”

Mordred stared at his hand, silence falling over the garden as everyone held their breath, waiting to see what he would do. Mordred glanced up at Bridget who smiled encouragingly. Mordred then looked over at Arthur and tentatively reached out.

“I…” he stopped. He shook his head and stepped back.

“Please, Mordred,” Bridget said. He looked at her once again. He took a deep breath.

“I just don’t know,” he said.

“I understand. It’s a lot to take in,” Arthur said.

“I… I think I need time alone,” Mordred said, turning and walking back into the house. Bridget looked over Elia, her eyes wide with worry.

“Give him some time,” she said softly. Bridget nodded. She then walked back into the house.

“I hope he doesn’t run off or try to kill Arthur in his sleep,” Gwaine said.

“Knock it off, Gwaine. You’re not helping,” Merlin said, starting to get irritated by the knight’s attitude. But he had to admit, he was worried as well. He glanced over at Elia, who’s brow was furrowed.

“I believe that he’s changed,” she said. Merlin then looked over at Arthur. The young king stood a few more moments before turning and making his way back to the cottage where Gwen was waiting.

“I hope that you’re right.”

~~~

The house was quiet as Bridget made her way downstairs. She had been sitting in the room she shared with Fianna across from Mordred’s, keeping watch. But sound had long ago stopped coming from his room, so she assumed that he had gone to sleep. Unable to get any rest herself, she went downstairs to make some tea. Once that was done, she stepped out into the garden, breathing deeply of the night air. While the country home was comfortable enough, she missed the open air of The Willows and the Isles.

“Bridget?” a voice said softly from behind her. Bridget spun around, pulling her robe tightly around her as her eyes widened and she saw Mordred walking out, also still clad in his pajamas. She glanced away, slightly embarrassed. “Couldn’t sleep either?”

She glanced over at him and shook her head.

“How are you?” she asked. Mordred sighed.

“Confused. I have my memories back and… part of me wants to remain angry with Arthur, but… another part of me is… tired. Tired of fighting and being angry with him,” he said. “And still astonished that I… that I could kill someone…”

“I can understand… you lost the woman you loved because of him,” Bridget said. “Though I do believe him when he said he wished there had been another way.” Mordred nodded and laughed shortly.

“I… I’ve had this whole other life… one where Kara didn’t exist… part of me wishes I could go back to that,” he said, not looking at her. “That I could just forget all this. I was happy, you know. As Lucas. Had a simple life. A good job. I was content.”

“I know… it can’t be easy,” Bridget said. Mordred finally looked up at her.

“It’s strange… I remember my life as Mordred, and yet… Kara isn’t here anymore. Neither is Morgana,” he said. “I dunno what I’m supposed to do at this point… it’s like two sides of me are arguing with each other constantly.”

Bridget kept her face neutral. They had not told him that Morgana was back yet and she couldn’t help the guilt that started trickling in.

“Mordred, I-”

Before she could say another word, he stepped over and took her hand.

“Thank you,” he said, cutting her off. Bridget’s eyes widened. “You’ve… been really great the last few days. Patient with me. I… I needed it.” Bridget nodded. “I am happy to find that we can at least renew our friendship even with everything that’s happened.”

“I tried to find you on the battlefield,” she said, surprising herself. Mordred frowned. “I wanted to… I thought I could talk you out of killing Arthur. But then… I found you lying on the field and I was too late.” She felt tears prick at her eyes. “I held myself responsible for many years. And I mourned your passing for a long time.”

“You did that… for me?” he asked softly. “But I didn’t deserve it.” Bridget nodded.

“I thought you did. And I truly do believe this is another chance, Mordred. Something _is_ coming,” she said solemnly. He nodded.

“Been thinking about that as well,” he said with a sigh. “And… I do want to help.” Bridget couldn’t help but smile.

“It is good to hear that,” she said, pulling her hand from his, thought she had to admit to herself that she didn’t want to.

“I think it’s a second chance for us as well,” Mordred said, causing Bridget to blush once again. “Pick up things where they left off before… before I went mental.”

“Of course,” she said before bringing the mug to her lips.

“By the way, what were you and Gwen doing in my town?” he asked. “Meant to ask you before…”

“We were searching for one of my kin - Trevor,” she said. “He left the Isles about 10 years ago to find Merlin and Elia, but did not. We’ve been hoping to find him.” Mordred looked to the ground a few minutes, going back through his memories.

“Curly hair, right? Weird ears?” he asked, glancing up at her. She nodded. “I remember him.”

“He always accompanied Elia on her state trips,” Bridget said. “I am sure you saw him then.”

“No, I mean… I remember seeing him as Lucas,” Mordred said. Bridget’s eyes widened. “He was in town for a bit - couple months, maybe. He was friends with my cousin - kept talking about this bloke with pointy ears and such. I think he moved on to London.”

“You know where he is?” she asked softly, hope beginning to fill her. The queen would be glad for the news.

“Yea, at least that’s what my cousin told me. He opened a shop… I remember the name… The Willows,” he said. “Does that help?” Bridget couldn’t help as she threw her arms around him, hugging him.

“Most definitely,” she said, stepping back as she continued smiling at him. She then froze, realizing just how close their faces were. She then quickly stepped back, letting go of him as heat pooled in her cheeks and putting more distance between them. “I shall inform the queen tomorrow. But for now, we should sleep.” She then turned and started towards the door. Mordred reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her.

With wide eyes, Bridget slowly turned, watching him as he lifted her hand to his lips.

“Sleep well, Bridget,” he said with a slight smile. Unable to speak, she only nodded before quickly making her way back up to her room. After shutting the door, she leaned against it, a small smile coming across her face.

This was another chance, indeed.


	24. Almost There, Trevor

Elia sat silently at the dining room table, staring at her hands as Mordred stood next to Bridget and reiterated what he had told her the night before about Trevor. Merlin stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder as he smiled down at her. Arthur, Gwen and the knights were at the cottage with things still a bit awkward after Mordred’s memories were returned. 

“You believe that he is at this shop?” Elidren asked, his face betraying nothing as he looked at the other warlock. Elia knew he was suspicious, though he was good at hiding his true feelings in front of her. Unfortunately, Cameron was not, openly frowning as he saw how close Bridget was standing next to Mordred. Fianna’s face was lit up with hope as she looked over at the queen.

“It’s been a few years, but I think he’s still there,” Mordred answered honestly. “If not, at least it gives us a solid place to start looking.”

“Us?” Cameron said. “This is elf business.” He crossed his arms in front of him, his frown deepening. Mordred’s eyes widened as he looked at the tall, broad elf.

“I thought I would help… since I’m the last one to have seen and heard about him,” he said. “Even if it was indirectly… I don’t think he ever saw me.”

“He knows the area well,” Bridget added. She looked over at Elia. “I thought that he and I would accompany you to the shop.” 

“I don’t trust him,” Cameron said immediately, looking to Elia as well. 

“That is why I will be going with them. To keep an eye on him,” Bridget said frowning.

“I do not see why you should be his constant guard,” Cameron replied. 

“Enough!” Elia said, looking over at him. Cameron whipped his head over to her, not expecting the queen to raise her voice at him. She shot him a scowl, before turning to look at Mordred and standing. Her expression softened as she began smiling. Finally unable to contain her happiness, she rushed over and hugged him. “Thank you,” she said in his ear. Mordred looked surprised as she stepped back from him. 

“Mordred, Bridget, Merlin and I will go to London to search for Trevor,” she said, looking over at Cameron. “And we will bring him back here when we find him.” She then walked out of the room without any further explanation. Bridget led Mordred away, murmuring something to him about packing. 

“You cannot seriously think this is wise,” Cameron said, stepping over to Elidren. 

“With all respect, Elia knows what she’s doing,” Merlin said. 

“I agree,” Elidren said, glancing at the warlock. “It will be fine.” 

“And what are we supposed to do? Sit here and wait whilst twiddling our thumbs?” Cameron nearly shouted.

“There are many texts left to consult. We will continue there,” Elidren said, glancing at the irate elf. “If you’ll excuse me, I shall go check on King Arthur and tell him the news.” He then calmly left the room. Merlin looked over at Cameron and Fianna, opening his mouth to make an excuse to leave, but ended up just walking out, unsure of what to say. He could tell there was something else going on - another reason why Cameron didn’t want Bridget going to London with Mordred - but decided to let that go, not wanting to wade into elf politics. He had already had his fair share of that.

“I know why you are angry,” Fianna said softly to Cameron in elvish. Cameron glared at her. “You know that she was never yours.” 

“He is not an elf,” he said. “It is not right. She should join a union with someone of her own kind.” Fianna sighed and shook her head.

“Many things have changed, Cameron. You know this. They changed a long time ago,” she replied, her brow furrowed. He looked towards direction of the stairs, his glare changing to an expression of hurt. 

“I had hoped that with time… she would come to return my affections,” he said softly. 

“I know,” Fianna said. “But some things are not meant to be. The best you can do is move forward towards your own happiness.” Cameron sighed heavily. “Everything will work as it is meant to.” He glanced over at her and nodded. 

“Thank you, Fianna,” he said. “I will think upon what you have said.” Fianna smiled and squeezed his hand. 

“It will not be long before the rest of our kin arrive. Once we are settled back in The Willows, all will be well,” she said wisely. “I have seen that much.”

“Does not make it easier,” he replied.

“Matters of the heart never are,” she replied. “But you will survive this.” Cameron swallowed. He didn’t reply, but instead nodded and left the room. Sighing Fianna sat at the table and reached for a book. “One problem sorted… somewhat…”

~~~

“Hello?” Lancelot said, walking into the cottage. He wanted to spend all of his time at Merlin and Elia’s now that his memories of his past life had returned, but it was hard to find reasons to get away from his cousin without raising too many questions. Clara had already made several comments on it, saying she had been trying to get close to the normally reclusive neighbors ever since they moved in and met walls non-stop.

Thankfully his work allowed him to extend his stay there. As a freelance graphic designer, he could work anywhere as long as he had his laptop and had even brought it along with him so he could get some done while the others were still looking through the various books and discussing what to do about the Morgana and Mordred issues. Gwaine was still adamantly against trusting him, though Percival and Gwen were coming around. Arthur was still conflicted. Lancelot wasn’t sure where he stood on the topic of Mordred, having missed most of that the first time around.

“In here,” Gwen called out. Lancelot walked into the small living room, finding her without the others. He shifted awkwardly on his feet, being alone with her for the first time. “The others went out to the shops in town. Think they were getting a bit cabin crazy.” Lancelot nodded and looked around the room, taking in the various books and such. “Can I get you some tea?”

“Yes, please,” he said, moving over to sit in an armchair, placing his laptop bag on the ground next to the floor. He tapped his hands nervously on his lap, waiting for her to return and trying to think of something to talk about. 

A few minutes later, Gwen returned with two mugs and walked over, handing one to Lancelot before sitting on the sofa and pulling her legs up underneath her. 

“So…” Lancelot started, happy to have something to do with his hands. “I’m happy to see that you and Arthur were able to work things out.” Gwen started blushing slightly as she nodded.

“Yea… took a bit of time,” she said. “And well… he did exile me for a time.” Lancelot nodded. He didn’t have any real memories from his time as a shade, though Merlin had taken him aside and explained what had happened. More than anything, he had wanted to apologize to Arthur and Gwen, but hadn’t yet found the time. But now sitting in the room with only Gwen, he wasn’t sure exactly what to say. 

“I’m… truly sorry… for…” he stopped, staring at the tea mug. 

“Lancelot… it wasn’t your fault. That wasn’t you,” Gwen said. Lancelot looked over at her. “Arthur and I worked through that… centuries ago.” He nodded.

“I still feel in a way responsible,” he said. “Even if it was out of my control.” Gwen smiled softly.

“You always were a man of honor,” she said. “And he knows that. He doesn’t hold it against you, you know.”

“He doesn’t?” Lancelot asked, not quite believing her. Even if it was Morgana’s doing and it was a shade of himself, it didn’t change the fact that he was sure every time Arthur looked at him, he was taken back all those years to that moment when he had kissed Gwen and derailed their wedding.

“He doesn’t,” she said. “We went on to have happy years together. Not as many as I had hoped for, but at least we get this next chance.”

“I heard that you had children,” Lancelot said, feeling a sort of weight lift off him. There was still a bit of pressure there - one that wouldn’t alleviate until he spoke with Arthur - but he felt better having cleared the air with Gwen. She smiled and nodded.

“Twins. A boy and a girl,” she said. “Arturos and Ariana.”

“I wish that I could have met them,” he said. 

“I wish you could have as well. And Arthur,” she said, a pained expression coming over her face. “I didn’t know I was pregnant until after…”

“Mordred killed him,” Lancelot finished. She nodded. “How are you taking this business with Mordred?”

“Part of me is angry that he’s returned,” she admitted. “I don’t want to trust him. But… I can’t help but feel as though something is different this time. And that maybe Elia is right - more than anything this is a chance to undo the damage of the past. Inflicted on both sides. Looking back, I can’t help but think that the druids that fought back, well, they did have a justified reason… They just wanted to live and all…” Lancelot frowned.

“You think that Arthur should try to reconcile with Morgana?” he asked. 

“I don’t know about that, but… at least Arthur and Mordred were friends before… Arthur respected him and was fond of him. I wonder if perhaps it is possible that they could at least make amends,” she replied. “Arthur is truly remorseful about executing Kara, but then again… at the time he thought it was the right thing to do, though… Having lived much longer and seen more, I wonder if it was.” Lancelot nodded, glancing down at his mug again.

“Times have changed,” he said, looking up at her. “And hindsight is 20/20.” Gwen nodded.

“He’s accepted magic, for the most part. At least I think so. He knows that magic itself is not evil. Rather the person wielding it,” she said. “And more and more, I feel like that may have something to do with why we’re all back.”

“I overheard the elves - it seems they are planning to move back to their lands,” he said. Gwen nodded.

“Once it fully returns, though it doesn’t seem to be coming back as quickly as they want,” she replied. “I know they’ve been searching for a way to quicken the pace.”

“Any ideas?” he asked. Gwen shrugged.

“I’m not sure. Most of it is beyond me, though they seem to be consulting with Merlin a lot. I can’t help but think that was perhaps the reason we found Mordred as well,” she said. “Two warlocks are better than one. Maybe their magic together holds the key to renewing The Willows.” Lancelot thought it over a bit before nodding.

“I could see that,” he replied. Gwen sighed again.

“Honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming. So much as happened in such a short time. Finding Arthur, getting my memories back. Finding you lot. The elves. And then Morgana… I feel as though my head is constantly spinning,” she admitted.

“I feel the same,” Lancelot said with a soft laugh. “It’s just… it’s mad, when you stop and think about it. Just a few days ago, I was spending a few weeks in the country with my cousin and now I’m somehow wrapped up in some sort of potential magical catastrophe.”

“I hope it’s not nearly that dire,” she replied with a chuckle. “But whatever it is, I think we have everything we need to overcome it.”

“We do have Merlin. And elves. God, I never thought that elves were real,” he replied, shaking his head slowly. “This whole time… Merlin and Arthur never said a word that they had come across them before.” 

“I know. He kept it even from me. That is until they happened upon The Willows and Elia said she wanted to make an alliance,” she said. 

“She certainly seems to have a mind of her own,” Lancelot said. “Bet she keeps Merlin on his toes.”

“That she does… I wouldn’t have survived the years without Arthur if it weren’t for her and Merlin,” Gwen said. 

“I can’t believe they’ve been alive this whole time,” he said, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that she and Merlin were over 1,000 years old. 

“Everything that’s happened and that’s what still blows your mind,” Gwen said with a chuckle.

“True,” he said, smiling. He glanced over at her. “But I am glad that we could clear the air.” 

“No matter what, you will always be a friend, Lancelot,” Gwen said. “And we are glad to have you here.”

“That’s good to hear,” he replied. He then looked at the books. “Suppose we should get started?” Gwen looked at them, her eyes widening as she sighed heavily.

“Might as well.”

~~~

Elia walked quickly down the cobblestone street, nearly leaving Merlin, Bridget, and Mordred in her wake as she scanned the shop windows and signs, looking for the name that Mordred had mentioned. She was eager to find if it was still there. It was a rather quaint street, full of antique stores, oddity shops and other random stores that didn’t seem to go together, but still seemed at home in the area.

Glancing around, she saw a psychic shop, snorting softly to herself, but then stopped when she saw the shop next to it. It was for handmade furniture and she felt her heart nearly stop as she looked up and saw the name above it.

_The Willows_

“It’s still here,” she said as the others reached her side. She looked at Merlin, a bright grin filling her face. “He’s here.” She then turned and ran across the street, quickly making her way inside.

“Lia!” Merlin shouted, running to catch up with her.

“I am slightly surprised to see that it still stands,” Bridget said, looking over at Mordred. 

“It wasn’t that long ago,” Mordred said with a shrug. They slowly caught up to the couple, hearing a chime go off as they pushed the door open. Elia stood in the middle of the shop, looking around. The smell of wood and varnish filled the air.

“Be there in a moment!” a voice from the back called out. Elia looked towards a doorway, holding her breath as she heard footsteps.

“Please be him,” she murmured softly. 

“How I can-” 

Trevor stopped as he stepped out into the room, cleaning his hands with a rag. He had on a leather apron and there was wood dust in his curls. His eyes widened as he took in the group standing there. Elia grinned and launched towards him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“We found you,” she said, tears already falling down her cheeks. Trevor glanced down at her and then at the others, seemingly in shock. Elia stepped back from him and peered up, confusion now filling her eyes. “Where have you been? Why did you not find us?”

“I… I…”

“Daddy!” a little girl shouted as she stepped out from the back room. Immediately, Elia looked over, taking in her long, brown curls and cherubic face. She couldn’t have been more than five or six years old. 

“Come here, Lila. There’s someone I want you to meet,” Trevor said, turning to her. She walked over, shyly taking in the people standing around the room. She tried to hide behind Trevor, but he easily picked her up, smiling fondly at her. “Lila, this is Elia… Queen of The Willows.” Elia’s eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. She was already in shock over seeing the child, but now had lost the ability to speak at hearing him openly refer to her as the elf queen. 

Lila’s face lit up as she looked over at Elia.

“The queen from your stories?” she asked excitedly, looking at Trevor. He nodded.

“Yes, the one and only,” he said. He then looked over at Merlin. “And that’s Merlin.” Lila giggled excitedly as she looked at the warlock.

“Do magic!” she shouted gleefully.

“I… what?” Merlin asked, just as confused as Elia. 

“How does she know about us?” Elia asked, looking at Trevor. “What happened?” Trevor sighed.

“I went to the village near Camelot, searching for you. But I had no knowledge of the times or where you might be,” he said. “Eventually I made my way here - to London - and… I met someone. A druid woman.” Elia blinked, once again unable to speak. “I told her who I was and she agreed to help me find you, but… we ended up falling in love and… we’ve been married about seven years now. Lila came along five years ago.” He looked lovingly down at the small girl. “Eventually… I stopped looking. Figured eventually you’d find me when the time was right.”

Elia swallowed as she looked at the young girl, her eyes filling with new tears. She looked just like Trevor. 

“Why are your ears funny?” Lila asked. Elia reached up, feeling the glamour that Merlin had put in place. “Daddy let’s his ears go normal when no one’s around.”

“I do as well. Don’t want to scare people,” Elia said, stepping closer to the child. 

“I think they’re pretty. Mine aren’t as pointy as Daddy’s,” she said, pulling her hair back to show off her ears. They had a slight point to them but weren’t nearly as pronounced. She was only half-elf.

“They’ll probably get a bit pointier when you’re older,” Elia said, causing the little girl to grin. She then looked at Trevor, in slight awe that her old best friend had created a new life for himself. “Married.” 

“Thought it was worth a try. Since you were so gung-ho about it back then,” Trevor said, bouncing Lila slightly on his hip. The little girl curled up in his arms, unable to take her eyes off Elia. It was like seeing her favorite princess come to life. “How did you manage to find me?”

“Well, we had some help,” Elia said, looking back at Mordred. Trevor frowned slightly, unsure of seeing the young warlock. “You were friends with his cousin in the first village. Apparently, he lived there as well... we were able to track you through him.”

“I don’t remember seeing you there,” Trevor said.

“You and I never really met, though I saw you around the town and heard Marcus talk about you,” Mordred said, finding his voice. “I’m not here to cause any harm.” Trevor just frowned.

“Are you sure? The last time I saw you, you were intent on killing Arthur,” he replied. Mordred glanced around the group.

“He is different,” Bridget said, stepping up to defend him. Trevor looked over at her and then back at Elia.

“I trust him,” she said. Trevor nodded. If the queen had accepted Mordred, then he would as well. “But we’re here because Arthur’s returned as have some of the elves.” Trevor’s eyes widened. “The Willows is coming back to life.”

“You’re sure?” he asked. Elia nodded. 

“Magic is pulsing through the great willow. It’s not much, but it’s there,” she said. “We need your help.”

“Are we going on an adventure, Daddy?” Lila asked. “Like the stories you told me?”

“I’m not sure, Lila,” Trevor said, not looking at her. Elia frowned. She had hoped it would be easier than this. 

“I’m out of tea,” a woman said as she walked into the shop. Upon seeing it full, she stopped and looked around wide-eyed. When she saw Merlin, her eyes widened even more. “Merlin… it’s true.”

“This is my wife, Marissa,” Trevor said. “Merlin, you know, and this is-”

“Queen Elia,” Marissa said, slightly breathless as she smiled. “I had hoped we would find you one day. It is an honor to meet you.”

“You as well,” Elia replied warmly. She glanced back at Trevor, her eyebrows raised. “There’s more… Morgana is back as well. Though we don’t know if she has her magic.” 

Trevor frowned, taking in the news. He glanced nervously over at Marissa, who seemed to be deep in thought. 

“We must find her and figure out what she’s planning,” Elia continued. “And we need your help.”

“What does she look like?” Marissa asked suddenly. Elia looked at her.

“Dark hair. General evil feel to her,” Merlin replied lightly. Elia glared at him. Marissa’s eyes widened as she met Trevor’s eyes. 

“She was here. That was the woman that came to the shop the other day. The one that made me feel all wonky,” she said. Elia and Merlin whipped their heads around to look at her. “She asked me to return her magic.”

“Did you?” Elia asked. Marissa nodded.

“I didn’t realize who she was at the time, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it,” she said.

“But how?” Merlin asked.

“I have a crystal from the Crystal Cave. It’s been passed down in my family for centuries,” Marissa said. 

“Did you get an address or anything?” Elia asked. Marissa shook her head.

“But… I told her of a gathering… there’s not many of us true druids and magic practitioners left, but some of us meet together once a week. I told her when and where,” Marissa said.

“So, she’ll be there?” Merlin asked. Marissa nodded.

“It’s in two days,” she replied. Elia looked at Merlin, both of them thinking the same thing. 

“Why is she seeking out other druids?” Elia asked. 

“I’m not sure… maybe she’s found out that Arthur and the knights have returned so is trying to build up her own army,” he said.

“We won’t help her,” Marissa said. “Well, if she’s up to no good, at least. Or using nefarious means to get what she wants. We’re pretty content to keep to ourselves, to be honest. And we only use our magic for good.”

“I’ve no doubt,” Elia said. “But this is our chance to stop her. Or at least figure what she’s after.” Marissa nodded.

“I will take you to the meeting,” she said. “We’ll help in whatever way that we can.” Elia looked over at her, instantly liking the woman that Trevor had decided to spend his life with. 

“Good. We should start planning.”


	25. True To Your Heart

Mordred’s eyes widened as he stepped into the townhouse and looked around. The country house was bigger, but this was another level of luxury. Elia sighed as she dropped her small carryall on the floor and headed straight back to the kitchen, obviously on the hunt for something strong to drink.

“You live here too?” Mordred asked, looking over at Merlin.

“It’s… ehm… one of our places,” Merlin said, following Elia back. “We’re out at the country house more than we are here.”

“How many homes do you need?” Mordred asked, following Merlin.

“We have a lot of stuff that we’ve acquired over the years,” Merlin said tiredly as he stepped into the kitchen, seeing that Elia had already poured herself a stiff drink. Her eyebrows rose as she looked at Merlin’s face, down at the bottle and then back up at him, silently asking if he wanted a drink as well. He nodded and sat on a stool as she got more glasses and started making him one as well.

“So, she’s back. And she has magic,” Elia said, dropping the glass in front of him after they all waited in silence.

“We were considering that option,” Merlin said before taking a sip. Elia nodded.

“But there’s a chance that she might not be at full strength,” Elia said. “She only _just_ got her magic back.”

“If she’s got it back, she’s got it back,” Merlin said. “We need to go in prepared.” He looked over at Mordred. “I may need your help.” Mordred’s eyes widened as he looked down at his hands. 

“My help?” he asked.

“Yes. It may take two of us with magic to take her down if she’s at her full strength,” Merlin said, watching him curiously. Mordred looked up at Merlin. “I know that it’s confusing and you were on her side last time around, but even you have to admit that whatever she’s planning, it can’t be good.”

Mordred nodded and looked down at the floor. He was conflicted. He was still coming to terms with his old memories. With what he had done. With what Arthur had done. There was still some loyalty for Morgana, but the more he spoke with Bridget and thought about it, the more he questioned which side he was on. He didn’t feel particularly comfortable on either.

What’s more, there was the matter of his magic. Merlin seemed to think that along with his memories, his magic had completely returned. But it hadn’t. Much like Morgana had not retained her magic when her memories had returned, he hadn’t as well. He had felt a spark of it the night that they brought his memories back, but every time he tried to use it, nothing happened.

“What is it?” Elia asked, stepping over to him. “Something’s wrong.” Mordred looked up at her, his eyes wide. 

“I…” he started. “Just… you know that… it’s hard with…”

“You _haven’t_ gotten your magic back,” Elia said, cutting him off. He looked over at Bridget and then back at Elia, wondering if perhaps the elves could read minds. Even Bridget seemed to know what he was thinking and feeling more often than not. 

“How did you know?” he asked. “Did you read my mind?”

“We can’t do that. But I’m very good at reading people. Side effect of being alive for as long as I have,” Elia said. “Er, well… suppose all of us can do it.” Mordred sighed and nodded.

“I’ve tried, but… it’s just not there. Sometimes I can almost feel it, but it’s as though it’s just beyond my grasp,” he admitted. Elia glanced at Merlin and then back at Mordred. 

“I wonder… perhaps we should have Marissa do the spell. Get you your magic back,” Elia offered. The room went silent, though Mordred could see that Merlin was a bit conflicted. He looked over at Bridget, who was hopeful. Mordred thought it over as he looked down at his hands again. While he wanted his magic back, he wasn’t sure if he was ready to face Morgana yet. Not while he was still trying to figure things out. Elia frowned slightly, sensing his hesitation. 

“Perhaps we should wait,” Bridget offered. “He’s still getting used to… everything.” Mordred looked over, offering a small smile of gratitude. 

“Might not be a bad idea,” Elia said, stepping over to grab the two drinks and then handing them to Bridget and Mordred. “In that case, I think it better that just Merlin and I go to the meeting with Marissa and Trevor.” Mordred nodded as he took a drink. Merlin sighed and looked at Elia. 

“We need a plan then,” he said. 

“Go early. Hide. Then surprise her,” Elia said simply as she leaned against the counter. Merlin rolled his eyes.

“Think we need a bit more than that,” he replied. 

“Go early. Hide. Then you hit her with some sort of spell that incapacitates her,” Elia said, smiling cheekily at him. “I can always bring a sword if you think we’ll need it. Or would my bow work better?” Merlin sighed and shook his head. “Seriously, Merlin. We just need to hide and then take her unawares. Warn the others beforehand so they are ready to either fight or get out of the way.”

Merlin thought it over before nodding. 

“Needs finetuning, but I suppose we don’t have to come up with something right this minute,” he said. He glanced over at Mordred, who was nervously sipping at his drink, and then over at Bridget, who was worriedly watching Mordred.

He was worried about him as well. They probably should have left him back at the country house, granted no one knew that they would run into Morgana. There was likely a lot on the young man’s mind and he doubted he wanted to talk about it with Merlin and Elia there. 

“Lia, join me outside?” he asked, standing up and walking towards the patio. Elia looked at him strangely before following him. 

“Something wrong?” she asked once they stood in the back garden. “If this is because you don’t trust Mordred-”

“That’s not it,” Merlin said. “Well… I’m still working on that, but I just felt that Mordred would prefer to talk to Bridget rather than us.” Elia glanced back into the house.

“You caught that as well?” she asked. Merlin looked down at her, frowning.

“That they are close, yes,” he said. Elia chuckled as she looked up at him.

“Fair bit more than that, I’d say,” she said. “For Bridget, at least. Though I suspect there is something there on Mordred’s part as well.” Merlin raised an eyebrow at her before glancing back into the house.

“Bridget and Mordred… did not see that coming,” he replied, turning to look out at the garden. Elia chuckled. 

“I did,” she replied. Merlin looked down at her, his eyes wide. “Not like that… just… when I saw them together, I just… got a feeling that would happen. And well… they were friends… before everything…”

“Sure Mordred’s a bit confused in that regard. He just got his memories back of Kara, but now there’s Bridget,” Merlin commented. Elia sighed and leaned her head against Merlin.

“Suppose we should just let that work itself out…”

~~~

“Are you alright?” Bridget asked softly as she sat next to Mordred on a stool. He nodded, though continued to stare at the glass on the counter in front of him. Bridget glanced at the patio door and then looked over at Mordred. She reached over and took his hand. “Do you want to talk about it?” Mordred swallowed and held onto her hand tightly. But then he suddenly let it go.

“Did you know that Morgana was back?” he asked softly. Bridget looked down at her hands.

“Yes,” she said softly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.

“I… I wanted to. I was going to that night in the garden,” she said.

“But you didn’t,” he said. Bridget turned to look at him.

“I swear to you, I was going to tell you,” she said. “Even though the others did not want me to. Not yet. We were all going to tell you. Had to. But we were not sure of the right time...”

“Afraid I’d run off to her again, were you?” he asked, his voice slightly bitter. “Fill her in on everything.”

“I never thought you would betray us,” she said, shaking her head. “Not once.” 

He glanced at her before bringing the glass to his lips and taking a long drink. 

“Merlin still does,” he said. “That’s why he and Elia are out planning without me around. Why they don’t want me there. They’re worried I’ll tell her everything.” Bridget shook her head again.

“Of course not,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “We don’t think that. I certainly don’t think that-”

“I bloody killed a man, Bridget!” he shouted, pushing off from the stool and started to pace. “King Arthur, of all people. And I’m forever remembered as a villain of the story! While everyone just… glosses over what he did! What his father did!”

Bridget froze as she watched him. She had been hoping this would not happen, but she wasn’t completely surprised. He had been taking everything so well. It was odd there had been no blowback. But at the same time, she worried about it. And that it could potentially push him away again.

“He’s remembered as some great king,” Mordred continued. “But no one talks about all the cruel things he did-”

“Yes, he’s made mistakes, but… there was a lot of good that he did do,” she said, cutting him off. “There was eventually peace because of the groundwork that he made. Guinevere continued his work and openly accepted magic in Camelot… And he has accepted magic now.”

“Are you sure about that?” Mordred asked. Bridget frowned.

“He accepted us. He’s accepted Merlin,” she said.

“Of course, you’d take his side,” Mordred said, stopping to glare at her.

“What side should I be on?” she asked. “Morgana’s? You speak of Arthur’s cruelty, but do not pretend that she was any better.”

“All she wanted was for our kind to survive,” he replied.

“At what cost?” Bridget shot back. “She wanted to kill Merlin and is he not someone with magic? She would have moved against the elves if we did not bow to her will!” Mordred didn’t reply. Bridget then shook her head. “That does not matter. The only side that matters is yours. And I am on your side, Mordred.”

He stared at her a moment as a tense silence came over the room.

“I can understand Morgana’s fear – I should know. We too lived in fear of Uther Pendragon. And we too feared Arthur for a time,” she said. “But we did not wish to destroy them to get our freedom. If they provoked us, yes, we would have fought back. But Queen Elia wanted peace – so she reached out and attempted diplomacy first.”

“You honestly think diplomacy would have worked with Uther?” Mordred asked incredulously.

“No, it likely would not have. But she sensed a compassion in Arthur that his father lacked. Compassion that Morgana lost. If she had been allowed to continue, she would have destroyed everything to get what she wanted,” Bridget said. “Her heart was corrupted by darkness and… I do not wish to see that same darkness consume you again.”

“Why do you even care what happens to me?” he asked coldly. “No one else seems to. They’re all waiting for me to go back to her or try and kill Arthur again.”

“Because I care about _you_!” Bridget replied, her frustration getting the better of her. Mordred laughed harshly.

“You care about me? You barely know me. And I barely know you! For all I know you’ve been keeping an eye on me this whole time just to appease them,” he said, motioning towards the back garden. “Or, I don’t know. Maybe this is you acting out of guilt. You couldn’t stop me from killing Arthur before, so maybe you’ll succeed this time. But maybe you just need to realize that you can’t save everyone.”

Bridget stared at him, feeling as though she had been slapped in the face. She blinked rapidly, feeling the tears building up. Did he really doubt that her affection for him was real? Did he think this was all an act or something she did out of guilt? She had thought they were beyond that, though it appeared that she was wrong.

“You’re right. I can’t save everyone,” she said softly, feeling the fight start to leave her. “And while I did feel some guilt, I’m not doing this because of that or even because they want me to… I do have feelings for you, though now I’m wondering if they were ill placed.” She then turned and walked away, hoping to make it to the solitude of her room before the tears poured out. She didn’t stop when she heard him start to follow her, reaching the front stairs and running up them before he could catch up to her. 

“Please. Stop,” Mordred said, now in the front foyer, his voice softer. She paused on the stairs and looked down at him. “I’m… I’m sorry. I’m being a git...”

“No need. You were just speaking your mind,” she said, straightening her back. “If you’ll excuse me.” She started up the stairs again.

“It’s confusing,” he continued, staring up at her. “Everything… I just… I know what you said about Morgana is right, but she was kind to me when Arthur… but Arthur also helped me… and then Kara… and you.” Bridget stopped again, staring at the stairs in front of her. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

Bridget finally looked over, seeing the turmoil in his eyes. He was looking around the foyer as though it would hold some sort of answer for him while running his fingers through his hair. When he could find none, he looked back up, meeting Bridget’s eyes. 

“I feel like I’m two people at once and I don’t know which one I should be,” he confessed. Bridget turned and walked back down the stairs, stopping in front of him. 

“You are both Lucas and Mordred,” she said. “But I do not think this is a bad thing. I think, I think that you can be the best of both.” 

“Doesn’t really help much,” he said, his brow furrowed. Bridget swallowed and stepped closer, bringing her hands up to cup his face.

“Whoever you are or choose to be, I see who you really are,” she said, peering into his eyes. “A sorcerer and a man capable of great kindness and loyalty. More than that, you can still choose to rise above everything that has happened. Let the past stay in the past. Let it go.” 

Mordred thought about Morgana. She had shown him kindness, yes. But in the end he had allowed his pain and desire for revenge to take over him. She had only encouraged it. And it had been for nothing in the end. They had ultimately failed. But even he had to admit after learning everything that had happened after that last battle, he wasn’t so sure that Morgana’s world would have been a better one. Perhaps the right side had won, despite everything.

Mordred then couldn’t help as flashes of his last conversation with Kara flew through his mind. But at the same time, he knew that he needed to let her go. Kara had been gone a very long time and he felt as though she would not be coming back. And standing in front of him was a woman who was willing to believe the best in him despite everything else that the others thought or said. 

He felt his heart rate start to speed up slightly as he gazed down at Bridget, suddenly realizing just how close they were. While he would admit that he had done a bit of flirting that night in the garden, he didn’t realize until that moment just how much he needed and wanted her at his side. For a moment, he allowed himself to believe her - that he could be a better version of himself. That he could be and was someone different.

“Do you think the others will ever look past what I did?” he asked softly.

“Does it matter?” Bridget asked. 

“It would help,” he said truthfully. “But I suppose just as long as you do, that’s something.” 

Her eyes widened slightly as he started leaning towards her, his eyes not leaving hers. While there were plenty of times over the years that Cameron had tried to steal a kiss, she had always sidestepped him just in time. But this was different - she wanted Mordred to kiss her. She started leaning towards him as well, her eyes fluttering closed as she waited to feel his lips on hers.

Then the door slammed and the two flew apart as they heard laughter from the back of the house.

“You know you liked it!” Elia said loudly.

“Did not!” Merlin replied, though there was a hint of laughter in his voice. There was the sound of ice falling into a glass and then a bottle moving across the counter as the two continued talking. Bridget stood still, holding her breath as she waited until she heard the door open and close again, Merlin and Elia’s playful argument now no longer within hearing range. 

“I… I should get to bed. Goodnight, Mordred,” Bridget said quickly before turning and running up the stairs, her cheeks a bright red.

Mordred watched her go - part of him wanted to follow and pick up the kiss where they had left off. But the other part told him to give her space. With a sigh, he turned and walked back to the kitchen.

Perhaps another drink would help the swirling mess that was now occupying his mind.

~~~

An hour later, Elia and Merlin made their way into the house, stopping as they saw Mordred still seated at the bar in the kitchen, a half-empty glass in front of him. He slowly turned to look at them.

“Bridget go to bed, then?” Elia asked.

“Yea, some time ago,” he said, turning back to his drink. Elia looked over at Merlin, who only stared blankly back at her. She rolled her eyes and then nodded her head towards him, silently telling him to go talk to the young man. Merlin shook his head quickly but stopped when Elia started glaring at him. Sighing he finally nodded and started across the room.

“I’ll just head up then. Night, Mordred,” Elia said brightly before leaving the room. Merlin scowled at her retreating back before clearing his face and pulling out the stool next to Mordred. 

“Care to talk about it?” he asked, reaching for the bottle and pouring a bit more of the amber liquid into the glass.

“About what?” Mordred asked, not looking at him.

“Whatever’s got you looking glum and confused,” Merlin replied before taking a sip. Mordred looked over at him, confused as to why he would want to listen to whatever was going on in his head. “Something happen with Bridget?”

“Why would you care?” Mordred said, returning his attention to his glass as a sense of deja vu came over him. Merlin shrugged.

“Just thought it could help,” Merlin said casually. Mordred glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. After everything that had happened between them – all those years that Merlin was suspicious of him – he almost couldn’t believe that he was sitting here offering to listen to his troubles as though he were an old friend.

“Why are you being so nice right now?” he asked. “You hated me before…”

“I didn’t hate you,” Merlin said quickly. Mordred just gave him a look. “Well, fair. I had been told not to trust you. That you would try to kill Arthur and that I had to stop you. It was my whole destiny to help him become a great king. But I don’t hate you now. That was a long time ago.”

“Morgana could have been a great queen,” Mordred said. Rather than glare at him, Merlin just shrugged, not wanting to waste energy on a fight at the moment.

“Maybe? She wasn’t really doing so well in the ‘get people to trust her’ department. As you remember. Even you were on our side for a time. Well… until-“

“Arthur murdered Kara,” Mordred said.

“Yea… that,” Merlin said. He glanced at him and then sighed heavily. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry… and I did try to talk him out of it.” Mordred didn’t say anything, just continued to stare at his glass. “I wish it could have been different…”

“But it wasn’t,” Mordred said.

“I understand. I know that there’s not much I would have done differently had it been Elia,” Merlin said with a sigh. Mordred looked over at him, his brow furrowed.

“Really?”

“Love makes us do mad things, my friend,” Merlin said as he lifted his glass to his lips, thinking back over the many, many years he and Elia had been together. “Really mad things.”

Mordred fell silent again, back to studying his glass as Merlin watched him. While he was sure there was a lot going on in his head at the moment, the fact that he was sitting here alone made him wonder if something had happened with Bridget.

“Did you by chance have an argument with Bridget?” Merlin finally asked. Mordred looked over at him, his eyes wide.

“I… what?” he asked.

“I assumed you would be more comfortable talking with her, which is why I pulled Lia outside,” he admitted. Mordred just stared at him a bit longer, not expecting that to be the reason they left them alone. “Since she’s not here, figured…”

“Well… yea,” Mordred admitted, finding it an easy subject to discuss rather than his embattled thoughts about Morgana. “It’s just… I was already feeling something for her before I got my memories back. But then I remembered Kara… and with everything going on and all the other things…” Merlin sighed heavily.

“I’m sure it’s not easy,” he said. “I’ll admit that I felt a bit guilty when I realized I had feelings for Elia… I was in love with someone else before that, but she had died years before… But… I think she would have wanted me to move on and be happy. If that helps.” 

Mordred looked at Merlin again, not knowing about that story. 

“Your first love died?” he asked. Merlin nodded.

“We were only together for a very short time,” he said. “But it didn’t change the fact that I loved her and it was incredibly painful when she died. However… I was still alive and had much more life to experience. So, I opened myself up to once again experiencing love.” He studied Mordred for a moment, seeing a few different emotions fly across his face. 

Merlin stood and emptied his glass. He then placed a comforting hand on Mordred’s shoulder.

“Trust me… living in the present is much more rewarding than living in the past,” he said, offering him a small smile. He then put the glass on the counter and started towards the doorway. “Get some sleep. It’s been a long day.”

“Sure,” Mordred said. “And Merlin…” The warlock stopped, turning to look at him. “Thanks.” Merlin smiled.

“Don’t mention it,” he said before turning and leaving. 

Mordred emptied the contents of his glass and sat it back down before standing. He was still confused and torn. But a small part of him felt somewhat settled. Perhaps it was time to move on.


	26. Part of Morgana's World

Elia quickly walked down the sidewalk behind Marissa and Trevor, casually glancing around her to make sure that neither Morgana nor whoever else she may have recruited were there early staking the place out. She felt a bit of relief when she didn’t see or sense anything out of the ordinary. 

They were heading towards a normal-looking community building in a normal-looking neighborhood. Elia couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. The druids had been alive and well this whole time, hiding in plain sight just under her and Merlin’s noses. She glanced at him, seeing him focused on keeping up, though his jaw was clenched. She didn’t blame him. She had been mentally preparing herself to see Morgana the last two days as well. Considering the last time she had run into the woman, the sorceress had caught her in an enchantment. She couldn’t help but feel a bit smug at the idea of giving her a taste of her own medicine.

“It’s just here,” Marissa said, starting up a short set of stairs to the building. Elia nodded as they followed her and Trevor inside, making their way down a couple hallways to a small gym where a circle of chairs had already been set up. All the people there were off to the side, crowded around a table that held various biscuits and tea. There were about six of them. Elia had to admit she was a bit surprised. While she wasn’t sure what to expect at a gathering of druids, this was definitely not it. It looked as though they were at a meeting of AA.

When they walked in, the group all froze as they looked over and saw Elia and Merlin.

“It’s… is it really them?” someone murmured.

“Emrys and Elia,” another said. There was more than one look of shock. 

“All this time…”

Elia glanced over at Merlin, her eyebrows raised. She was glad that she had left her bow and sword at home, likely attracting more attention than necessary. But she had hidden several daggers around her person should she need them. She had to admit that she was a bit surprised that the group recognized them. Marissa and Trevor must have informed them as there were no paintings from that time. Well, a few. But she doubted anyone here would recognize them from a painting.

A short woman with large glasses quickly walked up to them, her hand out.

“It is such an honor to meet you,” she said as Merlin awkwardly accepted her hand and she began shaking his vigorously. “I grew up hearing the stories - all of us did - but I never thought I’d ever see you with my own eyes. I’ll admit, part of me wondered if they were even true...”

“How did you find them, Marissa?” a tall, skinny man asked. Marissa glanced at Trevor and turned back to the group.

“They found us. Or rather… they found Trevor. He’s an elf,” she said. The group whipped their heads around to look at him, more shock appearing. “He’s, ah, well he was a close advisor to the queen and a very dear friend of hers back then.”

“Guess now I see why you were so comfortable letting him in on the big secret,” a tall, plump woman said, shooting a disdainful look towards the couple.

“That’s besides the point. We believe Morgana is on her way here and she’s going to try and recruit you,” Merlin said.

“We’d never join her,” the man said.

“And whatever for?” the plump woman asked. Merlin glanced at Elia.

“We’re not sure. But we do know that she is back, she has magic and she is seeking the help of druids and others with magic,” he replied. There was a tense silence as they glanced around nervously.

“On that note, I believe that I shall head home,” the plump woman said, walking briskly towards the door. “I remember the stories and I want no part in this.”

“That’s your choice,” Merlin said. “But I may need your help with her.” The woman stopped and turned to look at him, her thin eyebrows raised.

“But aren’t you supposed to be the greatest sorcerer the world has ever seen? Surely you can handle her without us,” she said.

“We don’t know how powerful she is,” Elia said. “But if you’re too afraid to face her, then by all means, head home.” She crossed her arms in front of her, settling an icy glare on the woman, who only stiffened and narrowed her eyes at the elf.

“Elia,” Merlin said, rolling his eyes. They weren’t going to convince anyone to help by offending them.

“We must be ready for her. She could arrive at any moment,” Marissa said. “If you want to go, then go, but do it now. We don’t have time to stand here and argue.” The woman glanced at her and then sighed, walking back to rejoin the group. Elia smiled at Merlin and then looked around the room, already searching for the best place to hide. There was a small stage at the far end with curtains. She nodded towards it.

“Think that’s a good spot,” she said, starting to walk towards it.

“So, what is the plan?” the small, mousy woman asked. “I assume you have one.”

“We’ll hide and then when she arrives, we’ll take her unawares,” Merlin said, ignoring the snort that came from Elia as he and Trevor followed her.

“Hide and then take her?” the plump woman asked. “How is that supposed to work?”

“We need everyone to act as though nothing is out of sorts,” Marissa continued. “Act as though you don’t recognize her or know who she is. She goes by the name Sarah.” She looked around the group. “You think you can do that?”

There were soft murmurs of agreement. Elia didn’t really believe them, but she wasn’t about to say so. She hopped up on the stage and then stepped behind a curtain, glancing over as Merlin did the same on the other side. He nodded towards her and then fixed his eyes on the small group as they gathered their tea and then sat down. Trevor stepped behind Elia, watching the group as they started up a nervous conversation.

“You think we can pull this off?” he asked softly.

“Suppose we’re about to find out,” Elia muttered.

“And you’re sure it was a good idea not to get the others here?” he then asked. Elia huffed slightly.

“Weren’t sure we’d have enough time to get them all here,” she said. Trevor only stared at her. “There’s a large amount of people at the country house at the moment… And we didn’t want to risk having too many people here and mucking something up.” He couldn’t help but roll his eyes slightly. Of course, Elia would assume they could handle it on their own.

They waited silently for a few minutes before the door on the far side of the auditorium opened and shut with a loud boom and the group quieted, looking over. Elia sucked in a quick breath as her eyes narrowed and she saw Morgana saunter in. She looked just as she did all those years ago, though her hair was shorter and she had a warm smile on her face. Granted, it didn’t go all the way to her eyes.

Elia glanced over at Merlin, who had his eyes trained on Morgana, not moving a muscle as she made her way to the group.

“Sarah, how good of you to join us,” Marissa said brightly as the chair squeaked slightly while she stood. 

“I’m just happy to find a group of like-minded people,” Morgana said.

“Please, have a seat. We were just about to get started,” Marissa said. Morgana sat and sized up the group. 

“What is it you lot do at these things?” she asked. “Discuss magic?”

“Primarily,” a man said. “Share helpful spells and such.” Morgana nodded slowly.

“And you all have magic?” she asked.

“Yes, though it varies. Some are more… fluent in it than others,” the man replied.

“Speak for yourself, Alastair,” the plump woman replied.

“What brings you here, Sarah?” the mousy woman asked, glancing nervously at the others as she pushed her large glasses up her nose. Morgana took a deep breath, once again studying the group. It wasn’t quite what she was expecting, but she really couldn’t be picky. She needed others with magic to help her and this group had a fair amount, from what she could tell. It was one of the first she had been to in which all members had varying degrees of magic. 

“I’m here because I need help,” she said simply. “There is a spell I wish to do, but it requires magic from more than one person.” Elia glanced over at Merlin, who caught her eye. She then took a deep breath and stepped out onto the stage. Trevor and Merlin hurried to follow her.

“Hate to crash the party,” she said, smirking at the sorceress. Morgana looked up, her face bland as she looked from Elia to Merlin. She then smiled and crossed her arms in front of her, tilting her head to the side.

“I was wondering when I would run into you,” she said. “Surprised it took you this long to find me.”

“Come with us quietly and no one has to get hurt,” Merlin said. Morgana’s eyes flicked over to him as she slowly stood.

“Just what makes you think I’ll do that?” she asked, putting her palms up as fireballs appeared in each hand. The group quickly jumped to their feet, rushing to the sides of the gym to get out of the way as chairs toppled over. Only Marissa stayed nearby, closely watching Morgana.

“Don’t do this, Morgana,” Merlin warned. “It doesn’t have to be like this.” She just smiled as she threw the fireballs at the stage, the three narrowly jumping out of the way. Elia rolled across the stage and quickly hopped to her feet, pulling out two daggers.

“Now would be a good time to restrain her,” she said, hopping off the edge of the stage and letting loose one of the daggers.

“Working on it,” Merlin said, pushing up as Morgana easily deflected the dagger and set her sights on Merlin. He began shouting out a spell as his eyes flashed. Morgana tried to shield herself but was thrown back several feet, landing with a hard thud before sliding back another foot or so. Elia began running towards her, shooting glares at the other druids who were just standing there in shocked silence. Only Marissa seemed ready to jump in if needed, already moving towards the fallen sorceress as Trevor followed not far behind, his own daggers out.

“Some help would be nice!” Elia shouted as she pulled out another dagger. 

Morgana was already pushing herself up to her feet, frowning as Merlin shot another spell at her. This time she was able to move out of the way and shouted one of her own. Merlin managed to somehow shield himself, but the spell inadvertently knocked a few of the druids to the ground as well as Trevor and Elia.

Morgana knew that she was too weak to take him on right now. Even more so if the others decided to finally help. But she couldn’t let him know. She needed to create some sort of distraction so that she could get away. Live to fight another day and all.

Merlin started shouting out another incantation, this one much longer and more complicated. He was attempting to restrain her and she could feel the spell start to grab hold of her. Glancing around, Morgana knew that her only method of escape were the doors behind her. She looked at the ground just before her, seeing the others drawing near just beyond it. Chanting, she held her hands out, her eyes flashing as a massive wall of fire appeared, stopping the elf queen in her tracks as the other elf managed to grab the druid woman that had given her magic back and pull her back before she was burned. 

Merlin stopped chanting, temporarily distracted by the growing flames. Morgana smiled as she then turned and dashed out of the doors, quickly making her way through the community center and towards the crowded street outside. She was prepared to defend herself there if needed but knew that even if the elf queen or Merlin managed to follow her, they wouldn’t risk exposing themselves so recklessly.

“Fuck!” Elia shouted as she looked up at the flames that were starting to spread. She then looked around, trying to find another way out of the room. Before she could locate one, the flames quietly extinguished themselves, leaving a charred black line across the floor. She looked over at Merlin, who was lowering his hand and frowning.

Elia then dashed out, hoping to catch up with Morgana, Trevor not far behind her. They stopped as they reached the sidewalk outside, looking up and down it but finding no sign of the sorceress. 

“Jesus Fucking Christ!” Elia shouted again, stomping her foot. 

“We’ll find her again, Lia,” Trevor said, though the look on his face wasn’t has hopeful as his voice. She just huffed and turned around, walking back into the community center and back to the auditorium. Merlin and Marissa were already looking after the others, making sure that no one was hurt.

“Well that went well,” she grumbled as she put her daggers away.

“We knew it could be difficult,” Merlin said, glancing at her. “And I told you we needed a better plan.” Elia just rolled her eyes.

“She got away and we’ve no idea where to look for her,” she said, turning to face him as she planted her hands on her hips. “Though I don’t know why you waited so long to restrain her.”

“You could have stayed hidden a bit longer and let me do the spell out of sight,” he retorted.

“We’ll find her again,” Trevor said loudly, his voice strained. Merlin sighed and looked around at the druids who seemed to be shaken but otherwise unharmed. 

“What sort of spell could she be talking about?” he asked.

“Who knows,” the plump woman said. “There are a number of spells that require more than one person. Figured you of all people would know that.”

“I do, just wondering if any of you have any ideas so I have a better idea of where to start looking,” he said, his annoyance clear in his voice. 

“Depends on what she’s after,” Alastair offered. 

“We can assume that it’s nothing good,” the mousy woman said, earning a snort from the plump woman. “Must you be so disagreeable, Mildred?” she huffed. 

“You mentioned that there are others,” Marissa said. “More of you have come back?” Elia glanced at Merlin and then looked at her and nodded.

“Three knights - Gwaine, Percival and Lancelot, Queen Guinevere and Mordred have been reincarnated,” she said. There was a tense silence around the room at the mention of Mordred. “Not to mention, Elidren, Cameron, and Fianna have also returned from the Isles. And Mordred doesn’t have his magic.”

Marissa was silent a few moments before meeting Merlin’s eyes.

“You asked about a spell… there is one that she possibly could be trying to do… She mentioned to me that she plans to bring magic back, which I thought ridiculous because it never left. Not really, but…” she paused and looked around the group before looking at Merlin again. “She said that it would be beneficial to us… I think she wants to go public with who we are. In a big way.”

“She could just light a building on fire with her hands, post it on YouTube and accomplish that,” Mildred huffed. 

“She’s going to need more people to do big magic that makes a statement and there just aren’t that many druids left,” Marissa continued, ignoring the comment. “She may be trying to bring back more.”

“Bring back more?” Merlin asked. He looked towards Elia. “What else did Faeranduil say about reincarnation?”

“No, not like that,” Marissa said, interrupting him. “I mean… I heard about this spell, though I always thought it was just a story my gran made up to scare me off from trying dark magic. It’s a resurrection spell.”

Elia looked over at Merlin, raising her eyebrows. They hadn’t come across many such spells in their many perusals of the elves’ archives. But the few they had seen were rather complicated and they weren’t sure if it was even possibly for Morgana to perform them. Some of the necessary ingredients had long since gone out of existence. Merlin sighed.

“If it exists, we should have a record of it,” he said. “Back at the country house or perhaps it’s in the elves’ archives. We should go back and start looking. Once we find it, we’ll have a better idea of how to stop her.” Elia nodded. She turned to Marissa and Trevor. 

“You coming with us?” she asked. Trevor nodded though looked at Marissa.

“You should go somewhere safe with Lila,” he said, his brow furrowed. “Perhaps your parents’ place in the country.”

“Like hell,” Marissa replied. “This is partially my fault. I gave her her damn magic back. I’m going to help fix it.”

“It’s not safe. You’ve seen her. Morgana is powerful and dangerous, and I won’t have you getting hurt,” Trevor urged. Marissa sighed and shook her head.

“When are you going to realize that we’re in this together?” she asked, a small smile on her lips. “Besides, you’re going to need me.” Trevor stared at her a moment then shook his head. 

“Fine,” he said, relenting. He looked over at Merlin and Elia. “Give us tonight to make arrangements for Lila. Then we’ll head back with you in the morning.”

“Good,” Elia said. She then turned on her heel and started towards the door. “Let’s go, Merlin.” The sorcerer looked around the group, smiling nervously.

“Lovely to meet you all,” he said with a small wave before following Elia out.

~~~

Morgana breathed heavily as her front door slammed shut behind her. She knew they didn’t follow her, but she couldn’t help as she walked over to the window and glanced down to the street below, making sure. 

The night had not gone how she had hoped. She wasn’t completely surprised that Merlin and Elia had shown up. She figured someone in the druid circle may have found a way to contact them. But at the same time, she had hoped to get at least one recruit. She should have better vetted the druid woman and it was a mistake that she did not intend to repeat.

Sighing, she walked back to the dining table, glancing at the various papers and books strewn about. There were a few other groups and meetings that she intended to check out, but it seemed that she would need to spend a few days gathering what information she could on them before making her presence known. Not to mention figure out the best way to ensure that those she had already recruited wouldn’t turn on her. She sat down at the table and opened up her laptop. A soft ping alerted her to a new email. After skimming through it, she put it aside. Her boss was wondering when she would be back from her indefinite leave and she didn’t care to answer him. It wouldn’t matter soon, anyway.

She looked over at an open notebook and read the name of another gathering, then quickly took to the computer, starting up a search. While it was advertised as a group for wiccans, she was sure there had to be at least one or two druids there. And she would be able to sense who had true magic and who didn’t once she arrived.

Grimacing slightly, Morgana stopped for a moment, grasping her right wrist. Though her magic was back, she found that it wasn’t as strong as before, though every day brought some improvement. But sometimes it caused a bit of pain when she flexed it a bit too much. And tonight had done just that. Creating the wall of fire while Merlin was attempting an enchantment to restrain her about did her in and she was lucky to have gotten away when she did.

Pushing the ache aside, she returned her focus to the task at hand.

“Won’t be long,” she sang softly to herself, thinking of her plans. 

It truly wouldn’t.


	27. Poor Unfortunate Elia

Elia stood next to Merlin in the crowded den of the country house, slightly overwhelmed by the large amount of people there and the overwhelming buzz of conversation. The elves were to one side, eagerly looking through photos that Trevor had brought of Lila. Well, all but Elidren. The tall ginger elf looked on in mild interest as Trevor spoke about his daughter. Marissa stood next to him, openly staring at Arthur and Guinevere talking with the knights across the room. Mordred stood next to her, nervously glancing at Bridget, who appeared to be avoiding looking at him as she peered over Fianna’s shoulder at the photos even though she had already met the child.

Elia then looked at Merlin, who seemed to be just as overwhelmed by the many people and conversations, though he was technically supposed to be getting this meeting started. They had just returned from London and there was a lot to fill in the others on. Elia cleared her throat, getting his attention. She nodded towards the people.

“Right. Best get started then,” he said with a nervous smile. “Everyone!” The conversations didn’t stop. “Excuse me!” A sharp whistle pierced the air, silencing everyone immediately. “Thanks,” Merlin said, glancing at Elia as she lowered her fingers from her lips.

“Had to do something,” she said, smiling at him. 

“Right, so… a lot happened in London,” Merlin started. “As you can see, we found Trevor. And his wife Marissa, who is a druid and sorceress.” Elia caught Gwaine making a disappointed face out of the corner of her eye and struggled not to chuckle as Percival punched him in the arm. It would be a cold day in hell when Gwaine’s head was not turned by a pretty face. “We also had a run-in with Morgana.” 

“What?!” Arthur shouted. “Why didn’t you say something earlier? Is that why you were gone so long?”

“We weren’t expecting to run into her,” Merlin continued, glancing at Arthur. “But when we found Trevor and his wife, we discovered that she had gone to Marissa to get her magic back. And it would appear that she does have all her memories.”

Arthur looked across the room to the young woman standing next to Trevor. 

“I hope that you didn’t go through with it,” he said sternly. 

“In her defense, she didn’t know it was Morgana,” Merlin started.

“You gave her her magic back?” Arthur nearly shouted. Marissa frowned at him.

“As Merlin said, I didn’t know it was her otherwise I wouldn’t have done it,” she said. “It’s not like there are pictures or wanted signs floating around of her.”

“Then how did you recognize Merlin and Elia?” Arthur retorted.

“Because of Trevor,” she replied, narrowing her eyes at him. “And every druid can recognize Emrys.”

“Calm down,” Gwen said, grabbing Arthur’s arm. He looked at her and then back at Merlin, nodding for him to continue.

“Right, so she has her magic back. And she’s looking for others with magic,” Merlin said. “We tried to ambush her at a druid meeting that Marissa had told her about, but she got away.”

“How could you-” Arthur shouted as Gwen squeezed his arm and glared up at him. He glanced down at her and back at Merlin. “I mean,” he said at a much more normal volume, though he was struggling to keep calm. “How did she escape? And why would you attempt to get her without asking us for help?”

“We assumed that she wouldn’t be at full power and even if she was, if we got the jump on her Merlin was more powerful,” Elia said matter-of-factly, though she looked a bit sheepish. They should have planned more.

“You had Merlin and Mordred, not to mention a roomful of druids. How could she possibly get away?” Elidren asked. An uncomfortable silence fell over the couple as they glanced at each other and then over at Mordred and Marissa.

“I don’t have magic,” Mordred said. “It would seem while the spell returns memories instantly, magic comes a bit slower. I’m guessing that’s why Morgana knew who she was but had to seek help to regain hers.” 

“So… we only have two with magic rather than three. Up against Morgana at full strength with who knows how many others she’s managed to recruit,” Gwaine said with a sigh.

“We’re not completely helpless,” Elidren said, shooting a scowl at the knight. “You’ve got six elves as well.” 

“No disrespect, mate, but if this comes down to a fight with magic, I’m not sure how much use the rest of us will be,” Gwaine said, looking at him. “We’re only good at actual fighting and it’s been a long time since some of us have held a sword. I don’t even know where to get one.”

“Basement,” Merlin and Elia said at the same time, causing the group to look at them in surprise.

“We’ve managed to keep up a small armory… of sorts,” Merlin said. 

“Had to train Merlin with something,” Elia added. 

“You’ve had us searching in old books when we could have been training?” Gwaine asked.

“Not important at the moment,” Elia said, pushing forward. “We need to come up with a plan for Morgana. We’ve found that she’s seeking out others with magic to perform a spell, but we’re not completely sure what it is or how many others she’s managed to find or even how many she’ll need. We need to find the spell and figure a way to stop her.”

“Any hints on what it could be?” Arthur asked.

“Perhaps a resurrection spell,” Marissa said. “She didn’t say any details on it with the group but when she first came to my shop, she alluded to bringing magic back on a larger scale. There aren’t a lot of druids or true magic users left, so, my guess, she could be seeking to resurrect others.”

“Could also be a number of things,” Merlin added cautiously. “You’d be surprised just how many dark spells there are that could do a lot of damage…”

“Alright, so what do we do next?” Arthur asked. “Aside from getting the knights into training.”

“Marissa and the rest of us will start going through spell books. See if we can find anything on resurrection spells. Outside that… I suppose we could try and track down other magic groups and try to warn them about her,” Merlin said. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Elia frown as she chewed on her thumbnail. “What is it, Lia?” She looked at him and then out at the group.

“I really think we should try and talk to her,” she started. 

“Lia… you saw what she did at the meeting,” Trevor said. “She could have killed us.”

“She wasn’t trying to, I don’t think. She was trying to distract us so she could get away,” Elia replied.

“Morgana is too far gone to reason with,” Arthur said. 

“But we don’t know that for sure-”

“She started a war to get her way last time, Elia. She’ll do it again,” Elidren added.

“But if we just tri-”

“No, Elia. It won’t work,” Arthur said firmly. She looked around the group, taking in everyone’s faces.

“Surely someone must agree with me,” she said, exasperated as her eyes fell on Mordred. “Mordred?” He just shrugged.

“I don’t know. Last I knew her, she didn’t respond well to reason,” he said, though he appeared as though he wanted to support Elia’s idea but was too afraid to say it out loud in the group. The elf queen groaned and then stomped out of the room.

“Still doing that, I see,” Trevor commented. 

“You’d think she’d grow out of it eventually,” Elidren replied boredly.

“Where is she going?” Gwaine asked.

“Garden,” Merlin replied. “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to her.”

~~~

Elia was already pacing deep in the garden next to a small pond when Merlin found her. Her brow was furrowed and she was muttering to herself in elvish.

“Lia,” he said. She stopped and scowled at him.

“Whatever happened to having my back? Or did you forget that wedding vow?” she said, returning to pacing.

“Pretty sure supporting you in absolutely everything without thinking wasn’t in there,” he replied. 

“I don’t understand why no one will even consider the option of talking to her,” Elia said.

“I can’t seem to understand just why you think it will work,” he retorted. “You remember what she was like then. And you saw what she’s like now. She hasn’t changed and Morgana is not one to stop an evil plan just because you want to make nice.” His eyes then widened as an idea popped into his head. “Unless… have you seen something?”

“No, I haven’t. That’s not why,” Elia said, waving her hand in the air. 

“Then please, enlighten me, Elia,” he replied, crossing his arms in front of him. Elia stopped pacing and glared at him.

“Perhaps I think people deserve a second chance,” she said.

“She’s had multiple chances,” Merlin said.

“But not in this life, Merlin. She’s lived a life as someone else. We don’t know what that person was like. Perhaps there’s a bit of humanity left in there. Don’t you think we should at least see before we run off and try to kill her?” she shouted. “I mean… look at Mordred! We’ve been able to reconcile with him and he hasn’t attempted to kill Arthur again!”

“Yet,” Merlin couldn’t help but say, causing Elia to roll her eyes.

“He’s changed,” she said emphatically. “And I think Morgana could too if we just talked to her! Were at least willing to listen to her! She did what she did because she thought she was alone and she was afraid. Uther would have killed her if he found out about her magic - we need to show her that there’s not a threat anymore!” Merlin took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He just wasn’t as convinced that there was a way to get through to Morgana, but at the same time he also wasn’t sold on the idea that they should immediately destroy her either. He couldn’t help but think that she had spent too long controlled by darkness that he feared there was no coming back for her. “Please, Merlin! I need you on my side with this!” He looked over at her, his brow furrowed, not sure what to say.

“I just don’t know, Lia,” he said softly. He expected her to shout again. Or stomp her feet. Or throw something. All the things she usually did when she got angry. But instead she just swallowed and nodded, the disappointment clear in her eyes.

“Fine. If that’s how it’s going to be,” she said softly before walking passed him back into the house. Merlin shook his head as he walked over and sat down on a bench, leaning over to rest his elbows on his knees. He hated that look the most of all the many expressions of Elia. 

“I take it the talk did not go well,” Arthur said, walking up behind Merlin. He sat up and turned, planning to tell the king to sod off, but he saw the concern on his face and just sighed instead. 

“Usually not a good thing when she gets like that,” he admitted. “Though it’s been a long time…”

“What? Angry with you?” Arthur asked.

“No. Worse. Like she expects me to do better,” he replied morosely.

“She can’t seriously expect you to agree with her on this. She wants to offer an olive branch to Morgana and we both know that she won’t accept it,” Arthur said rationally.

“Well, Elia has a way of believing the best in people whether or not the rest of us see it,” Merlin said with a sigh. “And I can’t help but think maybe she has a point.”

“That Morgana can be saved?” Arthur asked. Merlin nodded as he stood and looked towards the house. 

“Maybe? Won’t find out unless we try,” he said, walking towards it. “If you’ll excuse me… I need to go find a way to make up to my wife.”

Arthur fell silent as Merlin walked away, stepping over to the bench to take his spot. Was it really possible that Morgana could be saved? That they could somehow convince her to put aside whatever nefarious plans she had and join them? Granted, he still wasn’t sure exactly what she would join them in doing. Outside of defeating her, Arthur didn’t really see what other purpose there was for the group. There were the elves and their return, but Arthur wasn’t sure how he factored into that.

He heard some shuffling from behind him and turned, seeing a wide-eyed Mordred freeze as he was walking over.

“I wasn’t going to try and kill you,” he said immediately, putting his hands up in the air. “Just… saw you come out and thought we could talk.” Arthur sighed and motioned him over. Mordred stepped closer but chose to stand next to the bench rather than sit. There was a bit of an awkward silence. Now that he was standing next to the king, he wasn’t sure what to say. Though he thought it would be better than staying inside where Bridget seemed content with avoiding him, seeming embarrassed about their moment at the townhouse. She had stayed in her room to herself most of the time until they left and hadn’t offered much on the drive back except to ask Merlin and Elia questions about what happened with Morgana.

“Do you think we should try and talk with Morgana?” Arthur asked suddenly, throwing him off. Mordred cleared his throat and kept his eyes trained on the small pond in front of him where a variety of unusual water plants were growing.

“I’m not sure, to be honest,” he replied. “I’d like to think that she could be reasoned with. That there’s a way to avoid another war with her… maybe she has changed… but I just don’t know.” Arthur glanced at him and nodded, frowning slightly.

“Do you feel as though you’ve changed?” he then asked. 

“I do,” Mordred said. “I mean… I don’t want to kill you anymore.”

“Suppose any progress is good,” Arthur said wryly. “But I meant it… I didn’t want to execute Kara. She just… didn’t really give me much of a choice… Though… I suppose there was some truth to what she said-”

“I know,” Mordred said, cutting him off. “Just as I know she probably wouldn’t have accepted any terms that you gave her… she was… set in her beliefs. But she’s been gone a long time and it’s probably about time I let go of that. There’s nothing to be done to change what happened at this point.”

“But you’ve only had your memories a few days,” Arthur said. “Understandable if you still held on to it.”

“Yea, but I’ve also got Lucas in me as well,” Mordred said. “And he was a decent bloke. I mean, I was a decent bloke as Lucas… I don’t think he would have reacted as I did if put in the same situation…” 

“You sure about that?” Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Mordred shrugged.

“I’d like to think that,” he admitted. “But I suppose I don’t really know for sure.” 

The two fell into silence a few moments, each caught up in their own thoughts.

“I suppose the real reason I came out here is… I accept your apology… as long as you accept mine,” Mordred finally said. Arthur looked up at him, a bit surprised. “And I do want to help. Even if it means going against Morgana. Again.”

Arthur slowly stood and stepped closer to him. Mordred stepped back as he looked up at the king, unsure of what he was going to do. Arthur just stared at him a bit before putting his hand out. Mordred smiled in relief as he accepted it.

“I think I can agree to that,” he said. “And I do hope that your magic comes back. We may need it.”

“I was thinking of talking to Marissa. She gave Morgana hers back. Maybe she can do the same thing with me,” he replied. Arthur nodded and looked back towards the manor. 

“Suppose we should get back in,” he said. “Still a lot of planning and work to be done.”

“Of course,” Mordred said, stepping back and allowing Arthur to start going in first. Rather than walk ahead, Arthur waited for him, the two walking back side by side. While Mordred was still confused about many things, he couldn’t help but feel a decent amount of relief at having buried the hatchet with King Arthur. At least it was one less thing to worry about.

Now to somehow figure out his magic. And talk to Bridget. Both seemed equally daunting.

“You think you could still be good with a sword?” Arthur asked.

“Maybe,” Mordred said. 

“If you have time, you should join the others in training tomorrow,” Arthur said. “Though… probably wouldn’t recommend sparring with Gwaine.” Mordred chuckled.

“I’d have to agree with you there,” he said. Arthur smiled slightly as he glanced at him, seeing the Mordred that he knew coming through.

Perhaps there was chance that Morgana could change.

~~~

Elia rolled away from Merlin, feeling him throw his arm across her waist as he usually did in his sleep. She was still utterly disappointed with him and would have made him sleep elsewhere if all the guest rooms weren’t completely occupied. Perhaps she should have forced him to sleep on the sofa or in the basement. When he came in after her, trying to talk to her, she had just slammed the bedroom door in his face and spent the rest of the night fuming on the balcony before finally crawling into bed. She heard him creep in a couple hours later and carefully get into bed without trying to wake her, not realizing that she was already awake.

She had managed to fall asleep for a bit. But woke up when she felt the offending arm on her waist. Glancing over at her shoulder at him, she noticed that he was still fast asleep, his mouth slightly open. Sighing, she got out of bed and grabbed a throw blanket from on top of a chest at the end of the bed and made her way through the master suite sitting room to the balcony, sitting in a chair and propping her legs up on an ottoman. She wished she had thought to grab a bottle of wine on her way upstairs but wasn’t about to risk sneaking down to get one now. There were too many people in the house that she could potentially wake and she didn’t want to speak to any of them, betrayed that no one would speak up for her. 

She looked up at the night sky, trying to locate and silently name as many constellations as she could, in the hopes it would still her mind and help her to finally fall back asleep. After about 30 minutes, it seemed sleep was finally starting to win out against her anger as her eyelids grew heavy and then finally closed.

~~~

_Elia opened her eyes and found herself standing in a modern flat with large windows across the front. For a moment she walked towards them, glancing down to the street below. A noise from behind her got her attention as she whipped her head around and saw Morgana walk out from the kitchen, a full wine glass in her hand as she stepped over to a table and sat down in front of an open book and laptop._

_Quickly, Elia ran over, not knowing how much time she would have before the vision changed. She saw the open book, noting that it was old and appeared to be a spell book. As the smoke began swirling around her, she memorized one phrase on the page just before everything went black._

_She then found herself standing in a large chamber, wails of pain filling the air. She didn’t recognize the place, though it looked both modern and ancient at the same time. Looking over, her eyes widened as she saw herself on a bed, Gwen and Bridget at either side holding her hands as her face was scrunched up in pain and her red curls stuck to her forehead._

_Fianna’s back was to her as she was leaned over in between her legs._

_“That’s it. Just one more push, Lia,” Fianna said encouragingly. Elia stepped closer, her hand flying to her mouth as tears filled her eyes. “And… she’s here.” Quickly Elia tried to run to the bed, eager to see her daughter, but then stopped and looked around the room._

_Where was Merlin?_

_The cries of the baby grabbed her attention again as she looked back towards the bed, seeing Fianna handing a bundle to her as tears streamed down her face. Smoke began to fill the room._

_“No… I need to see more. Where is Merlin!”_

~~~

Elia woke with a start, the tears still in her eyes as she gasped for air.

“What’s wrong?” Merlin said, rushing out and falling to the floor at the side of her chair. “What did you see?” She just stared at him, unable to shake the fear that now filled her.

They were going to have a daughter. And she didn’t know if Merlin was going to be there. 

She sat up and wrapped her arms around him as she squeezed her eyes shut and more tears poured out.

“You’re starting to scare me, Lia,” he whispered. Elia swallowed, wondering if she should say anything to him, but decided to keep the vision to herself until she could speak to one of the elves about it. But the other - that she could tell him.

“I know the spell,” she said. Merlin pushed her back and looked into her eyes.

“You saw it?” he asked. She nodded.

“I saw Morgana in her flat. There was a book open to it,” she replied.

“We should go wake the others,” he said, starting to stand.

“No!” she nearly shouted, pulling him down to her. “I mean… it’s late. It can wait until the morning. Let’s go back to bed.” She then stood, holding fast to his hand as she led him back into their bedroom.

“Are you sure you didn’t see anything else?” Merlin asked, sensing there was more going on. Elia wiped her cheeks and turned to face him. She opened her mouth, but no words came. So instead she kissed him.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.

“No, I’m the one who should be sorry. You… you just want to try and see if there’s a way to avoid a war, and really, we should try,” he replied, wrapping his arms around her. Elia nodded as she gazed up at him.

“Let’s not think about it now,” she said softly. “It can wait until morning…”


	28. Friends On The Other Side

Morgana sat in the small, stuffy shop, shifting uncomfortably on the cushion that had been provided. She looked around the room, trying not to wrinkle her nose. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but it definitely wasn’t her brand of magic. Was this really how some people thought it worked nowadays? Thankfully she didn’t need whoever she recruited next to actually do any work - she just needed people with magic. She had already met with the others and ensured their support. She knew there were some among them that didn’t actually want to join her, but she had done what was necessary to make sure they went along.

Part of her felt alive returning to her old ways. But just as suddenly, an image of an older woman among the group flashed before her. She had been openly defiant. Morgana knew she needed to make an example of her, but she had hesitated. She looked so much like her mother. It took a few moments, but Morgana had done what was needed in the end. Granted, it had left a residual sense of remorse.

Shaking her head and trying not to gag on the overwhelming scent of incense in the air nor dwell on the memory, Morgana studied the rest of the group around her. There were about 10 total that sat on mismatched cushions in a circle around a load of candles. Of them, only five truly had magic, though Morgana wondered if some of them even knew it. 

Attempting to keep her face neutral, she turned her attention back to the leader as she began some sort of welcoming speech, patiently waiting to make a move. She smiled politely and nodded when she was introduced and then closed her eyes when instructed to as the leader was going to begin some sort of cleansing ritual. Morgana thought it was nonsense. 

She waited only a few seconds before opening her eyes and looking around the group, quickly locating the ones without magic. With a flash of her eyes, they all fell over, soft thuds going around the room. The five that she left alone jumped slightly as they opened their eyes and looked around seeing their companions unconscious. They were only asleep.

“What’s going on?” a young woman shouted, her eyes wide. Morgana just smiled as she slowly stood and walked over to them.

“Allow me to _really_ introduce myself,” she said. “I am Morgana.” Four of them cowered from her, immediately recognizing the name, though the young woman just frowned up at her.

“I’m supposed to know you?” she asked, not seeming the least bit intimidated.

“Hmm, it seems that you don’t know your own history,” Morgana replied. One of the others elbowed the woman and quickly shook her head, signaling that she should just be quiet. “Regardless, I have a proposition for you all.” She started pacing slowly in front of them, making eye contact. “I can make you more powerful than your wildest dreams… but in return… I need you to help me.”

“With what?” one asked timidly. Morgana’s eyes flicked over to her.

“A spell. It requires at least five others to perform,” she said smoothly. “What it does is none of your concern right now but know that it will only help further our cause.”

“What cause?” the young woman from before asked.

“We’re going to take back what’s ours,” Morgana said. “Too long have those without magic ruled this land and forced us to hide who we are. We’re going to change that.” The woman frowned, seeming confused.

“You mean, like… assassinate the queen or something?” she asked.

“Perhaps,” Morgana said, starting to get annoyed by her questions.

“You do realize the royal family doesn’t have much power anymore, right? You’ll need to take out Parliament as well,” the woman continued. “Granted they’re self-imploding as it is…”

“I know,” Morgana growled, stepping up to the woman and glaring down at her as her eyes flashed. The woman opened her mouth to speak but found that her voice was gone. Her hands flew up to her throat as she grasped it and looked around at the others, her eyes wide in fear. “That’s better. As I was saying, we are going to show the world who we are and what we can do, but we’ll need an army to do so, which is where you come in.”

“And if we refuse?” another asked. Morgana looked over at them, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you really want to find out what happens if you refuse me?” she asked. There was silence. The women looked at each, seeming to be considering what to do, before looking back at Morgana. 

“Alright. We’ll help.”

Morgana smiled.

“Perfect. Now. Come with me. There is much to do and not much time to prepare.” She started walking out of the shop, glancing back to make sure they were following her. She then smoothly pulled out her phone and dialed.

“Yes?” a male voice on the other end said. 

“Got the last of them, Alvarr. See you soon.”

~~~

Elia stared at her hands as she sat next to Arthur at the dining room table. She hadn’t slept much the night before, both thanks to Merlin and her fears over what the second vision meant. But at least now, she had something to distract her thoughts from dwelling on it as everyone gathered around.

“What exactly did you see?” Arthur asked, looking over at her from the head of the table. Elia looked up at him and then around at the expectant faces.

“It was a large, old spellbook. Really old. I didn’t recognize it, though,” she said. “And she _is_ looking to perform a resurrection spell.” There was a tense silence as everyone looked around. 

“Did you see what was needed to perform it?” Marissa asked. “Could help us narrow it down.”

“I can do better,” Elia said. “Here Pentecosten.” Merlin eyes widened as he then shot up from his chair and ran out of the room.

“What’s that?” Gwaine asked. “Take it it’s not good seeing how quickly Merlin ran out.”

“It would seem that Morgana does intend to use magic to raise an army,” Elidren explained calmly.

“She’s done something similar before,” Arthur said. “Raised an undead army…”

“This is not exactly like that,” Elidren said, his eyes moving to the mortal king. “She’s not raising an undead army. She’s raising a magical one.” Arthur frowned.

“That sounds like what my gran mentioned. Said a sorcerer created it as a way to bring back those lost during the purge,” Marissa said. “But… he lost part of his soul in the process and never recovered. He became a shade of himself. That’s why we were never to try such magic.” Elia looked over at her, sitting up. “But I never thought it was actually real. Again, just assumed it was one of those tales told us to keep us straight.”

“Do you know anything more about it?” Arthur asked. Marissa shook her head.

“Just that. Pretty much the whole story. Or at least what I can remember,” she said, looking a bit disappointed that she couldn’t offer more information. Trevor slid an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, quietly assuring her that she was indeed helping.

“Found it,” Merlin said as he walked back, carrying the largest, possibly oldest book that any of them had seen. He dropped it on the table with a loud thump, causing dust and cobwebs to fly up in the air. Arthur wheezed slightly as Elia leaned in. It looked exactly like the book she had seen in her vision. If they had it, then how on earth did Morgana get the spell? Or maybe she hadn’t yet. A joy surged in her. Perhaps if they protected it well enough, there was no way the sorceress could go through with her plan. 

The cover was some sort of black leather with no writing on it and the pages were thick - probably the main reason they hadn’t disintegrated yet. He carefully opened it and started flipping through the pages as Marissa walked around to get a better look.

“Is that…”

“Yea, it is,” Merlin said without looking up.

“But how…”

“Elia and I have a knack for finding things, especially valuable, magical artifacts,” he said, smiling at her. Elidren cleared his throat. Merlin looked over, noticing the tall elf just staring at him. “Ehm… and a lot of this was stored in the archives in The Willows.”

“For safekeeping,” Elidren added. 

“What is it?” Gwaine asked as Merlin kept flipping through pages. 

“The Grimoire of Nimueh,” Marissa said. “I can’t believe it actually exists.”

“Well… honestly, she didn’t need to write them down,” Merlin said. “I was just as shocked when I came across it in the archives.”

“Faeranduil retrieved it after her death, fearing what could happen should it fall into the wrong hands. We made sure no one else knew of it,” Elidren said, watching the two. “Though we had heard rumors that there were two… never found the other...” Elia frowned.

“There must have been two. I saw Morgana with a book that looked just like this,” she said, sighing as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms in front of her.

“I remembered that phrase as soon as you said it,” Merlin said, glancing at Elia. “Don’t know why I didn’t think to look at this sooner. Nimueh was known for her power over life and death. Should have been the first place I looked.” He glanced at Marissa. “Your gran had some of it right but not much. Suppose that’s what happens when stories are passed down. It was Nimueh’s spell. And it doesn’t take part of your soul… there must be balance. If you plan to bring one person back, another must take their place in death - as I learned the hard way. Though it does require a rather significant amount of power and energy.” He glanced over at Arthur.

“What?” the king asked.

“You haven’t told him that story,” Elia reminded him. 

“Later,” Merlin said as he continued looking through the book.

“What did you do, Merlin?” Arthur asked sitting up. Elia turned slightly in her chair towards Arthur.

“He offered Nimueh his life for yours when you were bit by the questing beast,” Elia said. “She took his mum in exchange instead. Then Gaius went to offer his life so Hunith could live so that Merlin wouldn’t try to do it. Merlin goes, finds Gaius dead. Nimeuh propositions Merlin. Big fight. Boom! Bolt of lightning strikes and kills Nimueh and Gaius pops back up, fresh as a daisy. And then they all lived happily ever after. Well, except Nimueh. Who’s dead.”

Arthur just blinked as he stared at Elia and then looked up at Merlin. He thought he knew all the secret things that Merlin had done to save him over the time they had been friends, but this was the first time hearing this one. Merlin’s cheeks were turning slightly pink as he kept his attention on the book in front of him.

“Just how many times did you save Arthur’s life?” Percival asked. Sure, he had heard a fair amount of the stories, but also had not known about this. He wondered if there were more.

“Too many,” Merlin muttered. Arthur frowned as Merlin shot him a quick smile. He then straightened up as he pointed at the page. “Here it is.” Elia and Marissa bent over, looking through the text.

“It says that it must be done on the summer solstice in a place of magic. But there’s no mention of needing more than one person,” Marissa said, frowning. 

“Because one person can perform the spell, but you need a soul to exchange for whoever you’re bringing back. She’s getting druids - people with magic - to exchange for magical beings that she wants to bring back,” Merlin said, frowning. 

“There’s not much time. The solstice is in two days,” Elia said, frowning. “And a place of magic… there aren’t any. Not with the sort of magic she would need…”

“There is one,” Elidren said, causing everyone to look at him. “The Willows. Even if it is weak, there is enough there that she could likely draw from, though it would drain it completely.”

“That’s must be another reason why she went there,” Gwen said. “To see if magic had returned.”

“And she likely saw that it was,” Elia said with a sigh, now wishing she had listened to Elidren the first time he told them to go to The Willows. They could have captured a magic-less Morgana and stopped her plot much sooner. Merlin looked over at her, noting the deep frown on her face, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Hindsight is 20/20,” he offered half-heartedly.

“We should go to The Willows now and lie in wait,” Cameron said. “Stop her from performing the spell.” 

“I agree,” Arthur said, standing. He looked around the room, taking in stock who they had with them. Merlin, Mordred and Marissa could use their magic, while his knights and the elves would offer muscle. Elia was also skilled in healing should anyone get hurt. Not to mention, they were still not sure of how many Morgana may have convinced to help her. He didn’t want to underestimate her. She always seemed to have something up her sleeve.

“We go today and make camp. Merlin, we’ll need arms should it come to a fight. Take the knights with you and get them sorted since the elves seem to have brought their own. The rest of us will start gathering supplies so we can head out all the sooner,” he said firmly. “I’m afraid there’s not much time for training, but we’ll make due with the time we do have once we arrive at The Willows.” He then nodded his head. “Get to work.”

Murmuring broke out as everyone started moving to different parts of the house. Merlin left with the knights, taking them to the basement as the elves walked over to Gwen and started discussing what they would need to bring. Marissa looked down to read through the spell again, her lips moving slightly. 

Everyone seemed in motion save Elia, who remained seated and was staring into space.

Mordred nervously walked up to Marissa, glancing over his shoulder at Bridget and then back to the druid woman. He cleared his throat, getting her attention.

“You need something, Mordred?” she asked, offering a friendly smile.

“Yes… I was wondering… did you by chance bring that crystal with you?” he asked. Marissa straightened up. 

“I did bring it with me,” she said. “And the book. Surprised you waited this long to ask. Come with me. We’ll take care of that now so I can rest up and be ready.” Mordred smiled gratefully and followed her out of the dining room.

Fianna glanced over, seeing Elia and becoming worried. It usually wasn’t a good thing when the queen was distracted like this. She stepped away from the group and walked over, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

“My queen?” she said softly. Elia started and looked up at her, eyes wide. “Is all well?”

“Yes. Of course,” Elia said, starting to stand. “Sorry… just… yea… Suppose I should start showing everyone where things are. We’ll need tents and sleeping bags. Food and such. And a lot of it with the sheer amount of people here.” She started moving out of the dining room towards the basement. “There’s a storage room downstairs where we keep camping stuff, but I think some of us will need to go into town to buy more.”

Fianna frowned slightly as she and the others began to follow her.

“Something seems off,” she said softly to Trevor. He nodded as he also watched Elia.

“I’ll speak to her later,” he said.

“Good.”

~~~

Merlin sighed as he stepped out onto the shoreline of the lake. Night had fallen and they were set to leave for The Willows in about 30 minutes, but he needed a minute to himself. Ever since the revelation of what Morgana intended to do that morning, the house had been a constant flurry of action as everyone worked to get things ready and packed into the caravan of cars that they would take to The Willows. While he would have preferred waiting until the morning to leave, it seemed the urgency of the situation had everyone else on edge and they were eager to get there before Morgana.

She had slipped away twice now, and they weren’t keen on letting her go a third time. What’s more, she intended to sacrifice innocent druids. He wasn’t completely sure just who she intended to bring back, but figured Nimueh and Morgause would likely be part of the group. And he didn’t like the idea of seeing either of those two again.

Walking over, he sat on a log and looked out towards the lake, allowing everything that had happened the last few weeks to catch up to him for a moment. Arthur had come back. Then they found Gwen and the knights. Then the elves. And Mordred. Arthur and Mordred had reconciled. Things were normal among Arthur, Gwen and Lancelot. Elia had finally agreed to start seriously thinking about having children.

He smiled slightly at that thought, though it quickly faded as he remembered her demeanor that day. She seemed distracted, as though there was something heavy on her mind. Not to mention every time she came near him, she would reach out and touch him in some way or randomly pull him into her arms. It was strange. And he worried that she had seen something else that she hadn’t told him about. 

He then quickly pushed the thought from his mind. He needed to be focused on the task at hand. They would go set up camp at The Willows and then spend the next day training and preparing for Morgana’s arrival. When the time came, they would once again have to fight her. Merlin wasn’t sure just how they would kill her, considering normal swords and weapons hadn’t worked before. 

But there were other factors to consider. She was a reincarnation. Perhaps that made her more vulnerable? And Merlin wasn’t too sure if she had been immortal before, though she was powerful. She had been grievously injured before… To be honest, he and Elia weren’t sure just how he was immortal - whether it was his destiny or his magic. A sudden thought flinted through his mind that frightened him. What if he lost his immortality after his destiny was completed? He had spent so many years at Elia’s side waiting on Arthur that he never once thought about that.

Merlin dropped his head into his hands, rubbing his temples. He came to the lake to quiet his mind, not start another storm of thoughts.

“What ails you, Merlin?” a soft voice said, floating through the night air. Merlin looked up, glancing around him but seeing nothing. “You look more forlorn than I have seen in a long time…”

Suddenly, there was a gentle ripple on the lake’s surface. Merlin stood and walked towards the water, watching as Freya slowly emerged from the depths, wearing a shimmery, light gown of blue. Merlin stared in shock as she smiled and walked across the water’s surface towards him, glowing softly in the dark.

“It’s… you,” Merlin said dumbly, still too shocked by her appearance. Freya laughed softly. 

“You seem surprised to see me. You do remember that I guard this lake, do you not? You brought me here after all,” she joked.

“I… yes… just… it’s been so long,” he said, blinking and finally regaining the power to speak. 

“It has,” she replied, stopping a couple feel away from him. “While you look the same, you have much changed.”

“I got married,” he said. Freya chuckled.

“Yes, I know. She is lovely. And your match in every way,” she said.

“So… you’re not… sore about that?” he asked. Freya laughed loudly.

“Why should I be angry that you were able to find happiness with another? I am gone, Merlin. All I want is for you to be happy,” she said. Merlin nodded.

“But… why didn’t you come before?” he asked.

“It was not the time,” she said. “And I could sense your turmoil now.” Merlin sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well… there’s a lot going on right now. Morgana’s back and we’re off to face her. But… we’re not sure if we’ll be able to overtake her or kill her or how that’s going to go down,” he said. “And then there’s the whole great purpose thing. I mean, if this is it… what happens to any of us when it’s over? Do I get to keep on living forever or will I die because my bit’s done? And then there’s Elia… she’s been out of sorts all day, but she won’t say anything to me-”

“Merlin!” Freya said loudly, cutting him off. He looked over at her and stopped, not realizing that he had begun pacing at the water’s edge. She was still smiling gently at him. “Yes, there is a lot happening right now. But you have to trust in yourself. Trust in the others. Together, you all have a greater purpose.” Merlin nodded, dropping his hands to his side. “It is only when you work together that something greater can be achieved.” He frowned, not following her words, but assuming she meant defeating Morgana. 

“And as for the rest… you do know that it is your power - not your duty - that has sustained you all these years,” she continued. Merlin felt a bit of the tightness in his chest alleviate.

“Well… I mean, I considered it. But it’s not like I could ask you or the Great Dragon,” he said sheepishly. Freya smiled.

“Trust me… there is so much more for you and Elia to accomplish. You will need several lifetimes more, I should think,” she said. Merlin nodded. 

“So… it’s going to work out? All of this?” he asked.

"I will not tell you more than what I have already said,” Freya replied. “But… I can offer you a gift.” She held her hands out and just behind her, Excalibur rose from the water. Merlin’s eyes widened as he watched the blade softly float to her side. “Though, it comes with a warning. Only use it as a last resort.”

“What do you mean? It’s the only thing that we know can kill Morgana,” he said, stepping closer to her.

“Yes… but think, Merlin. Is the shedding of her blood the only way to achieve peace for mortals and magical beings alike?” Freya asked. 

“You think we should talk to her,” Merlin said. Freya nodded slowly.

“Elia is wise. You should listen to her more,” she said, a small smile appearing. Merlin rolled his eyes.

“I’m glad she’s not here to hear that,” he said, causing her to laugh softly. The sword began moving again, stopping just in front of Merlin. He reached out and took the hilt of the sword, feeling the weight of it.

“Use it wisely,” Freya said as she started backing away from him. Merlin nodded.

“It was good to see you again,” he called out, though it felt a bit silly. As though they were old friends that had randomly met each other on the street. Freya smiled again.

“I’m always here if you need me,” she said. She then silently slid beneath the lake’s surface. Merlin looked at the sword in his hand and then over towards the house.

“Suppose it’s time to get going…”


	29. Just Can't Wait To Be King... Again

All the work from the day caught to Elia as she dropped onto the air mattress in the tent she was sharing with Merlin just inside the gate to The Willows. While they probably would have been more comfortable staying in one of the many abandoned dwellings or even the old palace, the group decided it was better to stay closer to the gate just in case Morgana showed up earlier than expected. Once the small camp had been set up, they determined who would stay up for the first watch while the rest retired.

The ride over had been quiet, though she tried not to stare at Merlin the whole way. She hadn’t had a chance to speak with anyone about her second vision yet, and just thinking about it had her in a near constant state of stress. He had disappeared for a bit right before they set out and she had been about to go look for him when he showed up with a sheepish smile and something wrapped up in a blanket that he loaded into the back of their SUV without an explanation. He then declared they were ready to leave and hopped into the driver side to lead the caravan.

While she didn’t want to be away from him, she was so tired that it almost didn’t bother her when Merlin said he was going to chat with Elidren, Fianna and Cameron - all on the first watch - before going to bed. All Elia wanted was a blanket, pillow and sleep in the hopes that she could finally calm down. So, it was no surprise when she nodded off as soon as her head hit the pillow before she even bothered to change out of her clothes.

~~~

_She was once again in the chamber, standing next to the bed. The baby was wrapped up in a blanket as she smiled down at it._

_“Hello, little one,” she crooned, tears in her eyes. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you…”_

_Elia frantically looked around, searching for Merlin. Why wasn’t he there? She knew that she would have had him in the room with her. It didn’t make sense and set her on edge._

_“You look so much like your father…”_

_A dark mist began to swirl as Elia looked back down at the bed, her heart clenching. She needed to see more. To be sure of what this meant. Perhaps he was just outside. She didn’t want to think of the other option._

_She couldn’t fathom a future without Merlin._

_The black mist enveloped her, taking her away and when it cleared, Elia was standing in the willow grove behind the palace. Looking around, she wondered just why she was there. The others stood around, their eyes fixed on something. Turning to look, Elia saw several figures standing around the tree. Walking closer, she frowned as she noticed Morgana, Mordred and Merlin there among them, each with tense looks upon their faces._

_They then began to chant in unison, their eyes flashing as they held their arms out, hands clasped. Elia’s eyes widened as she felt a great surge of magic filled the air. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the people closest to her stumble a bit under its weight. The three looked tired and drained very quickly, though they were steadfast in their task._

_As they continued, Elia’s eyes widened as she saw the great willow burst to life, branches filling out with leaves. Suddenly, it was finished and Elia looked around in awe as the entire kingdom was now blooming and alive._

_“They did it,” she murmured as a smile filled her face._

_“MERLIN!”_

_She whipped her head around just in time to see him fall to the ground. Mordred and Morgana did not look much better, the three of them pale and sweaty. Elia felt her heart stop for a moment as she started towards him._

_“NO!”_

_Before she could reach him to see if he was alive or dead, the dark mist surrounded her again, pulling her away._

~~~

Elia sat up gasping for air in the tent, her eyes wide. She quickly covered her mouth, not wanting to draw any attention from the others just yet. She had seen more of her and her future daughter, but while the second vision brought with it hope, she couldn’t help the nagging fear that settled in.

Had she just watched Merlin die?

“Lia,” Merlin exclaimed as he ran into the tent and dropped by her side. “What is it?” She looked up at him a few moments, unable to speak as she shook her head and tears filled her eyes. She wasn’t sure what exactly to say to him. “Did you see something?” She swallowed and nodded.

“I saw you… and Mordred and Morgana. You did some spell… it brought The Willows back to life,” she whispered. Merlin stared at her a moment, confused as to why she seemed upset by this.

“But… isn’t that what we’ve been looking forward to? A return of The Willows?” he asked. She nodded but continued to stare at him silently. “And if Morgana’s there… perhaps this means that we can work things out…”

“I don’t want to lose you,” she whispered as she threw her arms around him.

“What do you mean? I’m not going anywhere,” he said, though a cold sliver of fear slid through him. Elia couldn’t speak, just held onto him as the tears fell. He began rubbing her back and doing whatever he could to comfort her. After some time, he realized that she had fallen back to sleep. 

Sighing, Merlin laid her down on the mattress and stood, thinking he should get back to Elidren and the others. But one look at Elia’s face, her expression of pain still there, stopped him. Instead, he crawled under the covers next to her and pulled her into his arms.

Tomorrow he would get it out of her.

~~~

The next morning, Bridget stretched as she walked around the edges of the city near where they were camping. It was a shock to see the once vibrant place now long dead and abandoned. Though hope was still there; it was in every small sprig of green that she saw. She hoped that it would not be long before it was once again thriving.

“Bridget,” a voice called out. She stopped and turned, watching as Mordred walked up to her. She had been avoiding him since that night in London, suddenly unsure of what she wanted to do about it. She had been certain of her feelings for him, still was, but being back with the others, she was unsure if she should act upon them.

“Finally got a moment with you alone,” he said, smiling. She nodded and glanced around, noting that the other elves were sleeping, having been up all night taking the first watch. “I was hoping that we could talk…”

“Of course,” she said quickly, though a bit stiffly. He sighed and shook his head.

“Look… I know that I got a bit… I dunno, things were confusing that night, but… I wanted you to know that I am grateful for you and everything you’ve done for me,” he said.

“Think nothing of it,” she said. 

“There’s more,” he said before she could say anything further. Bridget only nodded, motioning for him to continue, though she could feel her heart rate pick up. “You were right. It’s time that I left the past in the past and started focusing on now and the future. And… I really hope that perhaps, well… there could be a present and future for us.” 

Bridget’s eyes widened as her breath hitched. Was he really doing what she thought he was? Was Mordred confessing that he did have feelings for her? She was part elated, part scared and wasn’t sure on which side to fall on. She glanced over towards the tents where the other elves were sleeping. 

“I know that… I mean, I’m not sure what the laws are now. Especially with Elia and Merlin, but I’m willing to give it a go if you are,” he said. Bridget blinked a few times before starting to smile slightly.

“That law has long been gone. And it was only for royalty anyway. I am not of royal blood,” she replied. Mordred began smiling as he took a tentative step towards her.

“So… are you saying that you would like to see where this could go as well?” he asked. Bridget nodded, at first a bit hesitant, but then more vigorously.

“Yes. I would,” she said. 

“Good. Because I was terrified that you’d say no,” he replied.

“Why?” she asked, slightly confused.

“Well… Cameron hasn’t really hidden his feelings towards me,” Mordred said, kicking at the ground with the toe of his shoe. “And I wasn’t sure if there was… something going on there.”

“No! There is nothing, and… I can handle Cameron,” Bridget said. She then took Mordred’s hand and started leading him away. “Perhaps you would like a tour of The Willows? Or well, a small one, at least.” He nodded as they walked away from the encampment and towards the outskirts of the city. They were silent, though he couldn’t help but smile at the fact that Bridget still held his hand. 

“I always wanted to see here,” he said, looking around.

“I wish that you could have seen it in its prime. But hopefully that will happen someday soon,” Bridget said, her eyes looking up into the branches of the dead trees. “It was… wondrous to see… All of this green. And the weather always fair. Thousands of elves lived here. More in the outer villages spread throughout the kingdom. Before that, there were even more in the neighboring kingdoms.”

“There used to be more?” Mordred asked, looking over at her. “Besides yours, I mean.” Bridget nodded, her eyes still on the trees.

“At one time, there were many. But then they started dying. After my home passed into memory, there was only Rosewood - Elia’s home - and The Willows. Then even Rosewood faded,” she said, a pained expression on her face. 

“D’you think… is there a chance they could all return?” he asked. Bridget glanced at him and shrugged.

“I do not know. I do not think any of us know. But I hope they do,” she said. 

“Would you return to your homeland if you could?” he then asked.

“I have thought of it but… I feel as though my place is at Queen Elia’s side,” she said, resolute. “Wherever she chooses to dwell, I will follow.” Mordred was silent as he looked at the ground just ahead of them.

“Would there be a place for me as well?” he asked. Bridget stopped walking and looked over at him.

“Of course. Always,” she said. “For hundreds of years before our kind left for the Isles, druids and elves lived together peacefully. I am sure that you would be welcomed among us.” He looked up at her, smiling. 

“All that matters to me is that you want me there,” he said. 

“Thought it was understood that I do,” she said. 

“It is,” he said shyly before continuing to walk. “Think you could show me where you used to live…”

~~~

Elia stood in the doorway to her old rooms at the palace, taking in the decay and scattering of dead leaves across the floor. The lights no longer worked and the pool was empty of water, but some of the furniture was still there. She walked across the room, memories flying through her mind. There were many happy ones. The night that Merlin happened upon her and they shared a drink on her balcony. Others less happy. 

She stepped out onto the balcony and looked out over the dead city, leaning against the railing. She wondered when the fireflies would return even though it was still morning and unlikely that she’d see them anyway.

“Lia,” she heard from the door. She turned slightly, seeing Trevor walk in. He too took in the room, the pain clear on his face. The last time he saw this place, it was still alive.

“I know,” she said. “Broke my heart to watch it die.” He frowned as he looked to her, quickening his pace towards her as she turned back to look at the city. “All these years and I don’t think I ever got used to it…”

He nodded as he stepped to her side, looking down. 

“I can’t imagine the pain of coming here all the time. Watching it die and fade,” he said softly.

“Wasn’t the first time,” she replied. He then looked at her, his brow still furrowed.

“I feel as though there is something more on your mind,” he said. Elia sighed heavily.

“Many things,” she said.

“You’ve seen something else, haven’t you?” he asked. Elia swallowed and then nodded.

“Before, I… there was another vision that I saw,” she started, her voice quiet. “I saw… I saw myself giving birth…” 

“I don’t see why that’s a bad thing,” he started, though the look of pain on her face silenced him.

“Merlin wasn’t there.”

The phrase hung heavy in the air. 

“Did you-”

“I don’t know,” she said. “He wasn’t there, and he should have been. Then last night I had another… he wasn’t there as well. But it was followed by a vision of him, Mordred and Morgana returning magic to The Willows along with a group of druids. It came alive in seconds, but… he collapsed… I was pulled from it before I could figure out what happened…”

“So… there is a chance that he did not die,” Trevor said. Elia shrugged, tears already filling her eyes.

“Maybe?” she said. “I just… don’t know. You know how these things are. Frustratingly open to too many possibilities. Maybe it happens. Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe he dies. Maybe he lives.”

“Then there is no reason for you to be so upset,” Trevor said gently.

“But we don’t know that!” Elia shouted, gripping the railing tightly. “We saw what would happen to Arthur and despite everything, he still died! And now… I see this… and ultimately it is good, and I know if I tell Merlin, he’ll do it regardless of if there is a chance he could die.”

“Which is why you haven’t told him,” Trevor said. She nodded. 

“How would you feel if I told you that I had seen you possibly die?” she asked, wiping at her cheeks. “I mean, I know I probably should, but…” 

Trevor pushed off the railing and reached over, pulling Elia towards him.

“It’s been me and him for so long and… even though I’ve had over a thousand years with him, I want more,” she said, her voice muffled. “I want him to see his daughter.” 

“I can’t tell you what to do, Lia,” he said, rubbing her back. 

“I know,” she replied woefully.

“But I can promise you that I’m here for you. And that perhaps… you should have a bit more faith that it’ll work out,” he said. Elia pushed away from him slightly, looking up at him.

“Really? That’s the best you could come up with?” she asked. Trevor chuckled.

“Too many of our kind have gotten far too wrapped up in foresight and what it could mean that they were blind to what was right in front of them. Merlin is here. Now. Focus on what can be done now and deal with the future when and if it happens,” he said. Elia just stared at him a few moments before nodding slowly.

“Right,” she said, stepping back towards the railing.

“So then… you’re pregnant?” Trevor asked, a slight smile on his face. 

“Not like there’s a nearby corner store to get a test,” she said. “I saw that I have a child - didn’t really get a good idea on when.”

“Becoming a parent changes you,” he continued. “Makes you realize there is more to the world.” Elia looked over at him. 

“How did you feel when you found out about Lila?” she asked. 

“Elated. Scared. Well, petrified was more like it,” he said, still smiling as he looked over at her. “But at the same time, holding her for the first time… it was the best feeling in the world.” Elia nodded as she looked back out at the city.

“All Merlin’s ever wanted was children. Myself as well, though… I wanted to wait,” she said. “I regret that now.”

“You were only doing what you thought was right,” Trevor said. “And honestly, how would you have dealt with all this with children?”

“Dunno. How are you dealing?” Elia asked, looking over at him. Trevor sighed heavily and shook his head. He was silent a bit before a look of resolution came over his face.

“It makes me fight harder,” he said finally, meeting her eyes. “For both of them. Marissa and Lila.” Elia nodded and smiled slightly.

“Hard to imagine you married… and as a father,” she said lightly. “Here I thought you were still hoping I’d marry you.” Trevor chuckled.

“I did for a long time. But when I realized how happy you were with Merlin, it just… disappeared. And I wanted to find that same happiness for myself,” he admitted. “I did agree to help you, after all.”

“That you did. And you’ll always remain one of my closest friends and allies,” she said, reaching out to grasp his hand. Trevor nodded.

“And I will always remain at the service of my queen,” he replied. Elia smiled and nodded. She let go of his hand and wiped at her cheeks once more.

“Suppose we should get back…”

~~~

When Merlin woke up, he was surprised to see that Elia was gone. He quickly made his way out of the tent and looked around, finding the rest of the camp sitting under a large tent at a table as Gwaine and Percival manned a camping grill they had brought - Gwen hovering nearby - but Elia and Trevor were nowhere to be found. The other elves were likely getting some sleep after staying up all night to keep watch.

“Went off for a walk,” Marissa offered when she saw his confused look. “Sure they’ll be back soon.” Merlin nodded and then set his sights on Arthur. Elia would have to wait, but there was another conversation he needed to have.

“Arthur, if you have a moment,” he called out. The king paused from eating and looked at him. Upon seeing the serious look on his face, he immediately stood and walked over, following as Merlin stepped back into his tent and grabbed Excalibur, which was still wrapped up in the blanket. He then stepped out and started walking towards the city, Arthur following him with a concerned look on his face. He could tell that something was off as Merlin tucked the package under his arm and rubbed his face with his free hand.

He looked rough and Arthur wondered if he had even gotten any sleep the night before.

“What’s this about?” Arthur asked. Merlin glanced at him and then back at the others. Sighing, he shook his head as he continued moving forward, apparently wanting a bit more privacy. Arthur couldn’t help but frown, becoming even more worried.

Finally, Merlin came to a stop as they had reached the edges of the city, now no longer able to see or hear the others. Merlin glanced towards the city as though he were searching for someone. He then looked back at Arthur.

“I went to the lake last night… and Freya appeared,” he said. Arthur’s eyes widened slightly as he glanced down at the parcel. Could it be? Had the Lady of the Lake returned his sword? “Before I give this to you, it came with a warning… she said to use it as a last resort.” 

“A last resort?” Arthur asked, frowning slightly. Merlin nodded.

“She said that we should try and resolve this without bloodshed,” he continued.

“And then gave you a sword,” Arthur replied. 

“I’m serious, Arthur,” Merlin said with a sigh. “She said that we should rely on each other and that together we could accomplish great things. She wasn’t keen on details, but I think she was telling me that we can work this out without violence.” 

“It’s not like I was going to walk up and lob off her head without a word,” he said, still frowning. 

“I know,” Merlin said. “But still… we should try talking first.” Arthur was silent, thinking it over. He then sighed and nodded his head.

“I was thinking that you and Elia might be right,” he admitted. “I was able to make amends with Mordred… perhaps there is still hope for Morgana. We were once close.” Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. There was one problem solved. He then uncovered Excalibur and held it out, smiling slightly. Arthur just stared at the sword, hardly believing that it was here where yesterday it had been at the bottom of a lake. “You want me to kneel or something?” 

Arthur snorted as he looked up at Merlin and took the sword.

“Course not,” he said, returning to studying it as he stepped back and swung it around a bit. He started smiling as he got used to its familiar weight.

“You look… kingly,” Merlin said, still smiling slightly. Arthur chuckled as he stopped swinging it and turned his full attention to Merlin. While he seemed happier, there was still something in his eyes.

“You planning on telling me what else is going on?” Arthur asked. Merlin glanced down the trail again.

“Elia had another vision last night,” he said. “She saw me, Morgana and Mordred work together to bring magic back to The Willows.” Arthur’s eyes widened.

“This is good news, isn’t it?” he asked. There was something about Merlin’s countenance that told him there was something that wasn’t. 

“I think she’s keeping something from me,” he said, looking back at Arthur. “The night that she had the vision about the spell… she… something was off. Ever since, she’s constantly watched me or tried to be close by. Always touching me. And then last night… she burst into tears and said that she didn’t want to lose me.” Arthur was silent, taking it in. “I think… I think she may have seen me die and she’s too afraid to say it…”

“But… if you work to bring back The Willows, doesn’t that obviously mean you survive?” Arthur asked. Merlin shrugged. 

“I dunno,” he confessed. “I mean… the elves’ visions are tricky…”

“Any trickier than other sorts?” Arthur asked. Merlin shrugged again.

“Not as though I’ve had many myself. Morgana did, though,” he said. “Granted, it’s not as though I’ve spent a large amount of time discussing them with her.” Arthur nodded, now frowning. He could see that Merlin was clearly worried - both about Elia and about the future.

“Have you tried talking to her about it?” Arthur asked. Merlin shook his head.

“I had planned to today, but she had run off by the time I got up,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. 

“Find her. Talk to her,” Arthur said, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly. Merlin nodded. 

“I will…”


	30. A Cause Worth Fighting For

Elia stood chewing on her thumb as she watched Cameron work with Gwaine, Lancelot, and Percival. She had found them in a clearing inspecting the various weapons that they had brought as she returned from her walk and were now starting up with training. Trevor went to check in with Marissa, though she noted that Arthur and Merlin were missing. She was curious where they had gone off to but didn’t seek them out. She was still unsure about speaking with Merlin.

She pushed the thought from her head as she focused on the maneuvers that Cameron had the knights going through. They seemed to have retained a decent amount of their skill, though they were a bit wobbly in some areas. Gwaine and Percival were still relatively strong from their work on the docks lifting and loading things. Lancelot seemed to be struggling a bit more than they but was quickly picking it back up. Gwaine seemed happy to be working with the elven weapons again.

Perhaps she would step in and help. She had helped Merlin improve his skills over the years, after all.

“My lady,” Bridget said lightly, walking up to her side. Elia glanced at Bridget, then returned her attention to the training session, seeing Mordred now joining them. Cameron walked over to a table and picked up a sword, swinging it around a bit before handing it to the young knight. “You look as though you did not sleep much.”

“I slept well enough,” Elia replied, still not looking at her. Bridget frowned, noticing that the queen’s normally bright eyes were slightly dull and there was worry etched in her brow.

“If there is something amiss-”

“I’m fine, Bridget,” Elia said with a heavy sigh. “Just worried, is all. We’re not exactly sure what we’re facing tomorrow.” 

“I’m sure whatever it is, we will triumph,” Bridget said, her voice full of hope. Elia’s eyebrows rose as she slowly turned to look at her, studying the younger elf. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mordred look over at them, offering Bridget a bright smile. Immediately, the blonde elf blushed and smiled in return.

“I sense something has changed…” Elia said softly.

“We spoke,” Bridget said, still watching Mordred. “He wishes to stay with me here in The Willows.” Elia couldn’t help but smile at the happiness that radiated from her once lady’s maid. Even with everything going on, she couldn’t deny the elf her happiness.

“I’m happy for you,” Elia said, seeming brighter. The two stood and watched the knights and Cameron in companionable silence for a time. After a bit, the brightness faded slightly as Elia remembered why they were all here. 

“What do you think, my lady?” Bridget asked. 

“Gwaine is favoring his right side. Percival is good on strength, though he seems to be a bit slow. Lancelot is not bad either, but… I feel as though he was much better before,” Elia said. “Though it isn’t bad for just starting out. And it’ll have to do. Not like we have much time...”

“Will you step in to help?” Bridget asked. 

“Perhaps. Though likely only with Mordred. He’s the closest in build to me. Cameron will fare better with the others,” she said. Bridget glanced over at the queen. Most of the previously noticeable worry had left her face as she watched on with a determined look in her eye.

She had seen many sides of the queen in the past several days since the elves had returned, but this was the one she knew all too well. The focused and resolute queen who carried herself with power.

Looking back out at the knights, Bridget could see King Arthur stepping up on the other side of the clearing, a large, elaborate sword at his side. Her eyes widened slightly.

“Is that…”

Elia’s eyes flicked over to Arthur, noting the sword there.

“It is,” she said softly, her eyes widening. So that’s where Merlin had disappeared to before they left. 

“This is a good sign, my queen,” Bridget said. 

“We’ll see…”

~~~

Gwen stepped to Arthur’s side as he watched the knights continue to work with the elves. Trevor had now joined them and was sparring with Mordred, taking pity on him as Cameron still seemed to be slightly unaccepting of the druid and had been going a bit harder on him than necessary. He was instead helping Lancelot, shouting out instructions as the two sparred. Across the way, Elia was sternly watching on as well as she nodded her head and listened in while Bridget spoke to her, occasionally murmuring something to her while pointing at the knights.

Thoughts of his conversation with Merlin floated through his head as he took in the queen’s appearance. While she seemed calm, there was a hint of something in her sharp eyes as they flinted around the group. She was likely doing what he was, inspecting the knights’ conditions so that they could later come up with a plan of attack for if it was needed when Morgana and her followers arrived. Elia had already expressed her concerns over how they would be armed - if at all - seeing as swords and bows were out of fashion nowadays.

“I see Merlin gave you something,” Gwen said softly, looking up at him. He nodded and glanced at the sword now at his side. “Thought it was lost in a lake.”

“Apparently Freya returned it before we left last night,” Arthur said. 

“But this is good,” Gwen said. “You have a way to destroy her.” Arthur nodded, his brow furrowed as he didn’t respond right away. “But… I’m getting the feeling that you don’t want to…” Arthur sighed and glanced down at her.

“I’m prepared to fight if that is what this comes to, but…”

“Do you think she can be reasoned with?” Gwen asked. 

“I honestly don’t know,” Arthur admitted. “If there is a way to avoid bloodshed. Potentially losing someone again… but… this is Morgana…” Gwen gazed up at him, watching as a few emotions played out before he settled into a stern gaze. 

“I think… I think it’s wise to consider talking first,” she said. Arthur looked down at her. “I mean, if we can avoid a fight. Or war. Then I think it’s a good way to start. God knows that I wouldn’t want to risk losing anyone now that we’re all finally back together.” She looked out at the knights, moving from one to another. Gwaine was grinning from the ground as Percival reached down to help him up. Lancelot was locked in a serious sparring match with Cameron, not used to the speed of the elves as well as being out of practice. Mordred was listening closely as Trevor explained something while slowly swinging his sword through the air. 

“We could lose someone tomorrow,” Arthur said gravely. “And for what? Because Morgana wants to take over the world using magic?” 

“She’s scared, Arthur. That’s ultimately what this has all been about,” Gwen said, looking back up at him. “Back then… she was afraid of her abilities. Afraid that your father would kill her in his blind hatred of magic once he found out. She was manipulated by others who used that vulnerability for their own gain.” Arthur was silent, taking it in. “You have to show her that there is nothing to be afraid of. That you’ve accepted magic and you don’t want to hurt her.”

Arthur’s jaw flexed slightly as he watched the knights.

“You have accepted it, haven’t you?” Gwen asked, straightening up. They had spoken on magic before and she had assumed that he had, but his response had caused her worry.

“I, well… I’ve accepted Merlin. And the elves. And Mordred. I’ve even accepted this mad new world, but… I can’t help but feel that every great danger in my life had magic at its core,” he confessed. 

“Arthur… magic wasn’t what did all that. It was the person wielding it,” she said. She couldn’t help as an exasperated laugh escaped her lips. “I mean… look at Merlin?! Would you want him dead just because he was born with magic? He had no control over that. But he made a choice to only use it for good. Look at Marissa! She’s spent her life helping others with hers. Do you honestly think that magic is the enemy here? Still?”

Arthur was silent a long time before speaking. He then finally sighed and shook his head.

“No, I don’t,” he said, finally. “I know that you’re right… magic isn’t the enemy.”

“And Morgana doesn’t have to be either,” Gwen said. She looked around the dead forest around them. “This place… it was once amazing. Because of magic. And it can be again. This is proof that magic can be used for good. For wondrous things.”

“Merlin said something similar earlier… he spoke with Freya and she said that… when we work together, we can achieve a greater purpose,” he said. 

“Perhaps that is what this is all about,” Gwen said. “Being able to undo the past. For all of us to get a second chance at a happy ending.” She stared up into the tall branches above them. “Here.”

“Here?” Arthur asked, looking down at her. Gwen met his eyes and nodded.

“If The Willows returns to life and the elves come back, we could… start a new life together here among them,” she said. 

“But… what about your life as Elizabeth? Your family?” Arthur asked.

“I’ve been thinking about that and… who’s to say I can’t have both? I’ll need to find another job nearby, for sure, but… I can balance them and you. Still go visit. Still find a way to keep them in my life,” she said. “And ultimately, you are my family and life now. You always have been.”

He stared down at her hopeful face and couldn’t help as a small smile appeared. He leaned down and kissed her.

“See? All is not lost,” Gwen said. He nodded.

“It isn’t…”

~~~

Morgana was throwing the last of her things into an overnight bag. She wasn’t sure how long she would be gone but didn’t want to weigh herself down with too many things. She would be meeting the others at a spot in about an hour, and just needed to finish up the last of the packing before they headed to The Willows. There had been a sense of excitement in some - they were going to the legendary home of the elves, after all. Granted, she hadn’t been as forthcoming with all of them. Only those that she trusted and knew were on her side had been fully informed of what they were going to do and what they could possibly face while there. One of which was sure to arrive at any moment

They needed to move fast. Before the others got word. Though she was prepared to face them after Merlin, Elia and the other elf had shown up at the meeting with the druid woman. She was sure that word had already spread throughout the remaining druid community, but thankfully she already had enough recruited. And enough of those truly on her side should it come down to a fight.

From across the room, her mobile chimed. She paused and looked over at it, tempted to let it go to voicemail. But then she found herself moving towards it, seeing Sarah’s mother’s name on the screen. Something stirred in her as she started to turn away. She stopped and glanced at it again. Almost as though someone else had taken over her body - perhaps Sarah - turned and reached for the phone. 

“Hello, Mum,” she said breezily.

“Oh, good! I caught you!” the voice on the other end said, seeming relieved. “It’s been difficult to get a hold of you lately.”

“Yea, just been a bit busy. Told you I was working on a large case,” she said, finding the lie came a bit more difficult this time. 

“I know. You’ve got some important work,” the woman replied with a chuckle. “I was just wondering if you’d be coming around next week?” Morgana was quiet a moment. “It’s been ages and we do miss you… Your father was asking about you. As was your sister.” 

An image of Morgause flinted through her mind. Though it was quickly replaced by another face. One of another dark-haired woman with a warm smile and bright eyes. 

“I’m not sure. I’m still caught up in this case,” she said, though it sounded feeble to her own ears.

“I see… please take care of yourself. I worry with all this work that you’re not staying healthy,” the woman replied.

“I am, Mum. Getting sleep and such,” Morgana said, finding it an easier topic to focus on. 

“That’s good to hear,” the woman said. “Well, I’m sure you’re busy so I’ll let you go.”

“Yea, I’ve got some things to get to,” Morgana said, glancing around the room. 

“I love you, Sarah,” the woman said. 

“Love you too, Mum,” Morgana replied. She hung up the phone and put it down, feeling tears prick at her eyes. She quickly shook her head and strode across the room to her luggage, trying to push the thought of the woman aside. 

She wasn’t her mother. Not really. She kept reminding herself of that. The only family that had truly loved her was Gorlois and her sister. Not this woman. Not Sarah’s sister. Or father. While they were for all purposes a close-knit family, she had to remind herself that she was not Sarah. She was Morgana. 

There was a knock at the door then. Morgana looked over at it before quickly walking over and opening it. A smile came across her face as she stepped back, allowing Alvarr in. She was lucky to have found him at one of the druid meetings. When she first saw him, she wasn’t sure if he would remember her - it was her first such encounter with another reincarnation and she remembered how long it had taken for her memories to return. But thankfully after the meeting had ended, he had pulled her aside, mentioning that he felt like he knew her. She didn’t tell him everything then - not yet. But within a few days of them meeting up regularly, most of his memories had returned. And thankfully as he had returned within a druid family, he still had his magic intact. He had eagerly joined her in her plans.

“Are you ready?” he asked. Morgana looked over at her bags, starting towards them.

“Yes,” she said.

“Finally… we can finish what we started,” he said. Morgana looked over at him, smiling.

“Yes. Finally…”

~~~

Merlin sighed as he walked through the camp, looking around. The elves were now all up and enjoying dinner with the knights and the rest. A faint smile was on Elidren’s face as he watched Trevor and Marissa Facetime their daughter, appearing slightly transfixed by the contraption. Trevor turned the phone towards the other elves and Fianna and Bridget waved at the small girl, their faces alight with wonder over the phone and the fact that they could communicate with the tiny girl instantly from a distance.

“You look like Queen Elia!” Lila chirped, leaning closer to the screen to peer at Elidren.

“I am her cousin,” Elidren replied.

“Are we related?”

“Ah, no, Lila,” Trevor started to explain. Merlin chuckled as he kept walking, searching for Elia. He was surprised that she had stayed hidden away from him most of the day, though he supposed there was a large number of places in the ancient city that she could have been. He himself had spent a large chunk of the day holed up in the archives himself, searching for spells that could possibly help return magic to The Willows after Elia had mentioned her vision. He saw a fire going nearby with Elia seated on the ground there, her weapons carefully laid out on blankets around her as she inspected her arrows. 

Sighing, he walked over to her and dropped to the ground at her side.

“Been busy?” he asked. She glanced up at him then returned to inspecting the arrows. 

“Getting things in order. Worked with the knights and elves a bit. Got some of my own training in,” she said, not looking at him. “Noticed you’ve been busy as well.” 

“Was in the archives,” he said. “Thought I would look into the spell a bit more.”

“You don’t know what it is?” Elia asked, stopping for a moment to look at him.

“Well… I had a few ideas, but I’m fairly sure that I’ve found it,” he said, seeming happy with his progress. 

“And?”

“It’s complicated. The fact that you saw a group of us doing it helped point me in the right direction. And there’s a bit at the bottom that I’ll need Elidren to look at. It’s in a language that I’m unfamiliar with,” he said. Elia returned to her work, nodding.

“Sure, he’ll have time tonight,” she said. Merlin studied her, noticing that the fear that was in her eyes last night was now gone. Or rather masked. She wouldn’t want the others to see it and get worried as well. He couldn’t get the image of her terror out of his mind, though from what he had seen of the spell, it didn’t seem like any of them would be in any great danger performing it. Not if they had enough druids to help.

“Lia about last night-”

“I’m sorry that I worried you. I was… it was a long day and I was tired. Confused,” she said. Merlin frowned slightly.

“You said that you didn’t want to lose me. What was that about?” he asked. Elia put the arrows down and looked over at him, her brow furrowed. 

“I told you. I saw you, Mordred, Morgana and others bringing The Willows back to life,” she said, nearly biting her tongue to stop from telling him the other part. That she had seen him collapse. Or the other - that she had seen herself give birth to their daughter, but he was nowhere to be found. “I’m just worried about… I mean, that’s no small feat of magic. It could take a serious toll on you.”

“Something like that would,” Merlin said. “Strong magic is necessary - it would most definitely take more of us.” Elia just studied him. “But I think you’re onto something with the vision. When I retrieved the sword, Freya told me that we are stronger when we work together. We can achieve something greater. I think this is what she was talking about.”

Elia frowned as she reached for her sword and a cloth, starting to polish it without saying anything further.

“Seriously, Lia… what’s going on?” he asked, leaning closer to her. “You don’t normally keep things from me.” Elia sighed and dropped the sword and cloth, looking over at him.

“What if something goes wrong?” she asked. Merlin reached over and took her hand, squeezing it. It was unlike her to be unsure. Even when she wasn’t completely positive that there would be victory, she had always been strong in her belief that they would prevail. It was what made her so formidable on the battlefield and a great leader. Had all the years away from that weakened her resolve?

“We have to try, Lia,” he said softly. “This is the whole reason why we’ve been here, waiting. We have to trust that it’s going to work out.” She stared down at their hands, fingers interlocked. She swallowed as she felt tears prick at her eyes, the image from the vision playing before her eyes. Merlin collapsing on the ground. Running towards him but being whisked away. Having his child without him there.

“But… what if it takes too much out of you?” she asked softly. Merlin frowned.

“What?” he replied.

“What if… in doing this… in returning The Willows… what if it takes too much of you?” she repeated, not wanting to meet his eyes.

“I’ll be fine, Lia. I have Mordred and hopefully Morgana. Not to mention Marissa, as well. And as far as I’ve read, as long as we have enough people performing it, there should be no harm to any of us,” he said, smiling slightly. Elia looked up at him, seeing his resolve. He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. “‘Sides, I’ve got you. That alone is enough to make me fight harder to live.” 

Elia couldn’t help as a small bubble of hope filled her. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps what she saw wouldn’t happen. Trevor did have that right - they had no idea what the vision meant, and it wouldn’t do to spend all her time worrying about it. Rather, she should be focusing on now.

She let go of his hand and reached out, caressing his cheek.

“Of course, you do,” she said softly before leaning over to kiss him. She then leaned her forehead against his. “We’ll get through this. We have to.”


	31. Let It Go

Elia looked around the group, feeling a nervous energy passing through them. They had been waiting for a good two or three hours now just outside the gate to The Willows. The sun was starting to set and as each minute passed, she felt more and more anxious. They didn’t have much more time until the Solstice was over. 

Something was bound to happen soon. 

She stood at the edge of the clearing, peering out into the darkening woods, searching for anything. She could sense the movement of various woodland creatures, but nothing that sounded like the movement of a group of people.

“You are on edge,” Elidren said, silently walking up to her side. 

“She could be arriving at any moment,” she said, tense, though her eyes were still searching the woods. 

“Yes, and we are more than capable of handling the witch. We were victorious before,” he replied. Elia looked over at him, a pained expression on her face.

“But at what cost?” she asked. Elidren frowned slightly, sensing the underlying pain in her eyes.

“What did you see?” he asked. Elia shook her head and looked back out into the woods.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said, quickly returning her to a mask of neutrality. “We’ll be ready when she comes.”

“Have you given thought to where you will settle when all of this is over?” he asked, throwing her off a bit. She had thought about it, but wasn’t expecting him to bring that up now. Not when they needed to be focused. 

“Here, I suppose. Unless Rosewood returns,” she said 

“Have you been?” Elidren asked. Elia shook her head no. 

“I couldn’t bear to see it again. Not dead,” she said. “But it’s been kept safe.” Elidren nodded and began scanning the woods along with her. He then stopped, zeroing in on one direction. Elia perked up, hearing the same thing.

“They are coming,” Elidren said simply. 

She nodded as they quickly made their way back to the group. Some of them had been lounging around a campfire. Everyone fell silent at the serious looks on the elves’ faces.

“They are here,” she said. 

The encampment was suddenly in motion as everyone jumped to their feet and moved into position. Elia and Merlin stood at the front next to Arthur with the rest spread out around them and to their sides. Elia pointed in a direction.

“They’re coming from that direction,” she said. “Should be here in a bit.”

“How many?” Merlin asked.

“I couldn’t tell exactly, but about 15 or so, I think,” she said.

“Twenty,” Elidren said, tossing Elia a disdainful look as though he were disappointed that her skills had waned a bit. Elia just rolled her eyes in return.

“That’s more than I was expecting,” Arthur said, frowning as he gripped the hilt of Excalibur. “We’re outnumbered.”

“I doubt all of them are on her side truly,” Marissa said. “In fact, I’m certain she’s probably blackmailed or coerced some. Word’s been spreading. Fair amount have been lying low the last week or so.” Arthur nodded solemnly.

“Whatever it is, we must stand together,” he said, staring out into the forest. Merlin glanced over at Elia, once again worried about what she saw. Though worry was far from her face now. A steely determination entered her eyes as she gripped the hilt of her sword, her bow and quiver on her back.

She had donned her old armour. Many different memories flinted through his mind when she had come out of the tent in it. All the times he had seen her fighting. The last stand at Camlann. But then all the hunting trips and patrols afterwards. 

Over the years, she had fewer reasons to wear it and though he had never forgotten that she was once a queen, in that moment, he had thought she never appeared more like a queen. Her back was straight and her eyes sharp, with her red hair pulled back into a braid. The fate of her peoples’ return rested on what happened here tonight. 

He turned back to look towards the forest, gripping his own blade at his side, shifting slightly in his own armour. They had managed to save enough of it that everyone in the group had a set. While a debate had gone up over what sort of weapons, if any, they should expect from the other side, they had all at least agreed that the armour was better than nothing. He and Elia had tested it out and it would block bullets. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bridget, Cameron and Fianna settled in the branches of nearby trees, their bows out and loaded. 

After some time, even the mortals in the group could hear the progress being made through the underbrush. It wasn’t much longer after that, that people were visible through the trees. Finally, Morgana stepped out into the clearing, a smirk on her face as a large group of people filed in behind her, another man just next to her. Merlin’s eyes widened as he recognized Alvarr. He hadn’t expected to see the sorcerer even though they figured that someone must have been helping her. There were various expressions among the others, though about half wore looks of shock upon seeing the group waiting for them.

It had appeared that Morgana failed to mention to some of them that they might be facing down Merlin and King Arthur that night. Or a possible fight.

“Well, well, what a surprise,” Morgana said lazily, sizing Arthur up. She was in what looked like black combat gear, as were about nine others behind her - all armed with swords. The rest were in street clothes and woefully unprotected. At least he didn’t see any guns, which was a relief. Despite their armory of swords and bows, as well as their vast experience at warfare with various weapons, guns were a bit harder to come by. Amassing a large amount of them even more so. “We finally meet again, dear brother.”

“Whatever you’re planning tonight, we can… talk this out, Morgana,” Arthur said solemnly, his face stern, even though he was still a bit unfamiliar with the words. She only laughed in response.

“Really? You want to _talk it out_?” she replied. 

“This is as far as you go. You can’t get into The Willows,” Elia said, stepping out slightly from the group. “The gate only opens for Merlin and I and we won’t open it for you. Not unless you’re willing to listen first.” Morgana’s eyes flicked over to the elf queen.

“Love the fashion choice, Elia, though a bit outdated is it not?” she said lightly. From behind her, a few people leaned their heads together, looking at Elia, Arthur and Merlin, then whispering. “SILENCE!”

“Even your own don’t want to fight,” Arthur said. “Spare them and yourself.”

“And then what?” Morgana shouted, her smile sliding from her face. “Become your prisoner? I think you’ll find no prison can hold me.”

“Not as a prisoner. As an ally,” Mordred said, stepping up through the knights. Morgana’s breath hitched as her eyes widened at the sight of him.

“M-Mordred?” she asked softly. She could not imagine him being back and more than that, standing with Arthur and Merlin.

“We don’t have to be on opposite sides anymore. You don’t have to be afraid of Arthur anymore. None of you,” he said, his eyes falling on Alvarr. “Please, think about it.” For a moment, there was a sense of hesitation that came across Morgana’s face. It was obvious that she hadn’t expected him to be there nor for him to be on the opposite side.

“Don’t forget what they’ve done,” Alvarr said softly from her side. Resolve filled Morgana’s face again.

“He killed Kara. How could you stand at his side?” she shouted. “He’ll turn his back on you too! He’s done it before! You know this!”

“No, he won’t,” Mordred said, his eyes pleading with her. “Times have changed. We’ve made amends. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

“And what makes you think I’m afraid?” she asked, a note of incredulity in her voice. “I’m here for one reason only.” Her eyes returned to Arthur. “And if you stand in my way, I will destroy you.” Her eyes flashed as balls of flame appeared in her palms.

“We don’t need to fight!” Mordred shouted. “Please, just listen to us!”

“If you aren’t with me, you’re against me!” Morgana shouted back as Alvarr pulled out his sword. But still, she sensed the hesitation behind her. Glancing around, she wondered just why no one else was moving. “Prepare to fight, you cowards!”

“You didn’t tell us we’d be up against Merlin. Or even that we’d be fighting! I thought we were just here to do some spell,” someone from the back shouted. “I’m not fighting.” 

“Me neither!”

There were other shouts of acknowledgment as Morgana spun around to glare at them, the flames disappearing. Elia cast a glance towards Arthur. Perhaps this wouldn’t come to a fight and her side would just implode on itself.

“How dare you!” Morgana shouted. “After everything I’ve given you! Promised you!” Her eyes widened as a few started to turn and run back through the forest. Her eyes flashed as a large wall of flames appeared, cutting them off and quickly spreading to create a large semi-circle around half of the clearing, blocking their escape. 

“Morgana, stop!” Arthur shouted. Within seconds, chaos had broken with those who were armed on Morgana’s side rushing towards their group, swords drawn, while Morgana focused for a moment on restraining the ten that had attempted to run. They were cowering somewhere between the fighting and the flames, unsure of what to do.

“Help the druids!” Elia shouted, sword out as she ducked until another’s blade and attempted to make her way towards them, though was stopped by Alvarr. She couldn’t help but notice they had been well-trained. Perhaps Morgana had been preparing for this very thing. For a moment she worried. Even with more fighters on their side, these lot had magic. And it didn’t help that most of theirs outside the elves and Arthur were not nearly as prepared to fight. Not to mention they didn’t actually want to kill anyone. They had been hoping rather to talk it out or incapacitate.

From the trees, arrows flew, stopping Morgana in her approach. She looked around the branches and then muttered a spell as her eyes flashed, managing to knock all three elves to the ground.

“Bridget!” Mordred shouted as he ran to her side to help her up.

“I am fine,” she said, turning her attention to the fight as she pulled out her sword. “We must help those who cannot fight.” She then took off at a run, moving much more quickly than Mordred could. Deftly, she avoided the others as she slid to a stop in front of the cowering druids, facing off against Morgana.

“Ah, Bridget, so good to see you again,” Morgana said, starting towards her.

“You will not harm them,” Bridget said, gripping her sword in front of her. 

“Is that so?” the sorceress replied, her eyes flashing. Suddenly, Bridget was flying through the air, getting dangerously close to the flames as she rammed into a tree then hit the ground with a thud, not moving. Mordred nearly froze as he saw her, but then a glare came across his face as his eyes flashed and Morgana was tossed back a couple feet. She laughed as she pushed herself back up and he took Bridget’s place in front of the druids.

“You’ve gone soft,” she said, smiling viciously.

“I don’t want to do this,” he said. Her eyes flinted to the blade in his hands and back to his face.

“We both know that you cannot destroy me with that,” she said as she leapt forward and engaged him. It was soon very clear that Mordred was outmatched, but he only grit his teeth and continued, trying not to look over at the still unconscious Bridget. He was currently the only thing standing in between Morgana and the unarmed druids. “What’s this? You and the elf? That’s unexpected,” Morgana said as their blades slammed into each other and she leaned closer to his face. Mordred couldn’t respond, using too much effort to keep upright. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Fianna ushering the druids away from the fight and into the safety of the woods on the other side. She cast a worried look toward Bridget.

“I’m not soft,” he muttered as he used the last of his strength and pushed back. A slight look of shock came over Morgana’s face as they neared the main fighting. With a shout, he pushed her away from him and started to lunge for her. With a flash of her eyes, he was suddenly on the ground, screaming in pain. 

Morgana casually walked over to him, yanking his head back by his hair and placing her blade at his throat. 

“STOP!” she shouted. When the fighting kept going, her eyes flashed as the ground shook, knocking most off their feet. Arthur’s eyes widened as he straightened up.

“Morgana, don’t!” he shouted. A wicked smile filled her face as she took in her surroundings. Two of hers were prone on the ground, seemingly unconscious, though Arthur’s side didn’t seem to be faring any better, most of them save the elves sporting one injury or another and breathing heavily. Gwaine held one hand to a bleeding cut on his arm while Lancelot looked as though he had taken a few too many hits. And then there was the unconscious Bridget.

“Let me and mine through the gate and I’ll think about letting him live,” she said, her eyes settling on Arthur. He took a few steps towards her but stopped as Morgana pushed the blade into Mordred’s neck slightly. “You know I’ll do it.”

Elia looked frantically at Merlin, the two of them near Arthur’s side, silently pleading with him to do something. He gave a slight shake of his head, signaling that any spell he did would likely injure Mordred as well.

“Please, Morgana. Can’t we at least talk about this?” Arthur said, a pained expression on his face. “No one has to die here tonight.” Morgana laughed haggardly.

“Where is King Arthur the warrior?” she shouted. “Thought you weren’t afraid to kill.” Mordred glanced over at Bridget, unsure of whether she was even still alive. He looked back over, meeting Arthur and then Merlin’s eyes. He gave the warlock a slight nod, letting him know that it was okay. Merlin just shook his head, his mouth dropping open.

“Please, Morgana. Just… let him go and we can talk,” Elia tried, though she knew Morgana’s response would likely be the same. She wracked her brain for something - anything - that could get the sorceress to put her sword down. “I know that… that you’ve been afraid in the past. Afraid that Uther would kill you. That Arthur was the same. But you don’t have to be afraid of that anymore. Arthur isn’t like that. It doesn’t have to be like that anymore.” Morgana turned her eyes to the elf, though didn’t say anything.

“And I know that you’ve spent a long time as someone else. Sarah. What would Sarah do in this moment?” Elia pushed.

“You know nothing about me!” Morgana shouted at the elf queen. “You didn’t then, and you certainly don’t now!” 

“Do you have a family?” Elia continued, taking a tentative step towards her, dropping her sword on the ground and putting her hands out. Morgana didn’t reply. “Regardless, we can offer you that. Here. The elves are returning. The Willows is coming back. We can, we can start a new home here. One with magic. Where no one has to be afraid of who they are. No one has to hide who they are.”

“Those are very pretty words, but forgive me if I don’t trust you,” Morgana said.

“I know that it’s hard to trust us,” Arthur said, finding his voice again. “You have every reason not to trust me. I… I failed you back then.” Morgana’s gaze flicked back over to him, confused. “You went through so much alone and I should have been there to help you.”

“Me as well,” Merlin added. “We all should have.”

“You killed everyone who actually cared about me,” she said, her eyes blazing in anger as she looked at Merlin, gripping the hilt of the sword tighter. She pulled Mordred’s head back a bit more, causing him to shout in pain. “You have no idea what it was like to be me.” 

“I do,” Mordred said, though it came out a bit strangled. Morgana looked down at him, seeing that he was peering up at her. “I know what it’s like to be on the run. In constant fear. Losing everyone you love. Being stuck with two people in your head and trying to figure which one you have to be.” Her grip on the hilt loosened slightly. “You don’t have to choose one over the other. You can be both…” His eyes flicked over to Bridget. “You can have a second chance for everything. Love. Family. Acceptance.”

Morgana whipped her head around the clearly, tightening her grip as tears pricked at her eyes. There was no way any of the people standing there would willingly accept her. Not after what she had done. And she wasn’t sure that she could accept them. But there was a soft voice in her head that countered her.

_“You can do this…”_

She wasn’t sure if it was Sarah. Or Sarah’s mother. Morgana shook her head, trying to quiet it. No. She had made her choice. She was Morgana. Sarah was dead. 

Across from her, Arthur dropped his sword to the ground and stepped towards her. Morgana’s eyes widened. He was opening himself up for an attack.

“Please, Morgana,” he said. “Let him go. We won’t hurt you. Not anymore. I… I don’t want to hurt you. And… I am truly sorry.” Her hands began to shake slightly as she frantically looked around the clearing. Something stirred inside her.

Would be so easy? To let go? Leave it all behind? It had been so long ago. And times had changed. Suddenly her mind was filled with visions of the family she had in this time. What would they say if they saw her now? She could almost feel their disappointment. That they hadn’t raised Sarah to be cruel and unfeeling. Sadness came over her and it was an odd feeling. She hadn’t felt true care for anyone in such a long time. 

But at the same time, she wasn’t ready to give up. Hot tears coursed down her cheeks as the two sides of her warred against each other in her mind. She had been so sure that this was the right course. But had she been wrong?

“We need you,” Elia said. Morgana looked over at her. “To bring magic back to this place. We can’t do it without you.” That was something new. “I saw it in a vision. We need you to help us!”

“Please, Morgana. It’s the truth,” Arthur said, taking another tentative step towards her. He held his hand out. “Let him go. Join us. Let’s stop all this senseless violence.” 

Morgana stared at his hand, blinking furiously against the tears.

“Don’t do it! It’s a trap! You know we can’t trust them!” Alvarr shouted. Immediately, Lancelot and Percival moved to restrain him, his sword falling to the ground as he struggled against them. “Remember what we came here to do!”

“Don’t listen to him,” Arthur said, his eyes pleading with her. She could see that he was being genuine. All around the clearing, the others dropped their weapons. She wasn’t expecting that. For a few more moments, she stood still, trying to decide what to do.

“Morgana!” Alvarr shouted. She locked eyes with him a moment. He had convinced her long ago that fighting back was the way. And at the time, it was. But now the others were pleading for something else. Offering her a chance. She looked around the group again, unsure of what to do. They didn’t want to fight or kill her. Not anymore. Perhaps times had changed.

“Please… believe me,” Arthur said. “Don’t do this. I don’t want anyone else, yourself included, to die because of what happened then.” 

Morgana stared at him a bit longer. Then finally, she took a deep breath and let go of Mordred and moving her sword from his neck. With a thud it fell to the ground. She met Arthur’s eyes. Part of her still didn’t trust him completely, but even she had to admit that years of being on the opposite side had been exhausting. And it had gotten her nowhere ultimately. Something had to change. Maybe this path could.

Slowly, she stepped forward and lifted her hand. She knew that it would take more time to fully trust him and the others, but perhaps this was a good first step. It would take time for them to fully trust her, despite what they had said. Swallowing, she grasped his hand and nodded. Relief filled Arthur’s face. It was over. She could see Alvarr begin to struggle against the knights that held him.

“Stop it, Alvarr,” she said. He stilled, his eyes wide. “We don’t have to fight anymore.”

“But-”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. 

Mordred quickly scampered across the clearing, leaning over Bridget as she blinked her eyes open, grimacing slightly as her hand went to her head.

“What happened?” she asked.

“It’s over,” he said, lifting her up and kissing her. 

Merlin turned to Elia and wrapped his arms around her, nearly suffocating her in the hug.

“Told you it would work out,” he said in her ear. Elia tried to smile but found she couldn’t completely. There was still the matter of the spell. One that she knew could result in his death. He pulled back and noticed the look on her face. “What is it, Lia? Why aren’t you happy?” 

Elia looked away, meeting Trevor’s eyes. He nodded towards her. Elia took a deep breath and looked back at Merlin, tears filling her eyes. She knew then that she had to tell him the truth. With the other druids there, surely there were enough that he wouldn’t be needed. She couldn’t let him go through with it.

“I saw you… you collapse after you complete the spell,” she said softly. Merlin’s eyes widened. “I think… I think I saw you die…”


	32. One Last Hope

“What are you talking about?” Merlin asked, his heart dropping into his stomach. He was vaguely aware of the others moving around them, discussing what to do next. Fianna was making the rounds and seeing to injuries - thankfully it appeared as though no one was grievously hurt. But there was still the matter of what to do with those that had fought with Morgana - namely Alvarr. Granted, he was the only one putting up any fight at the moment, the rest too perplexed by the turn of events to do anything.

“I saw you collapse after the spell was completed in a vision,” she said. “You didn’t get back up...”

“I told you, as long as we have enough people, I won’t get hurt. None of us should,” he said, his brow furrowed. “More than that, this is your home… it’s my duty to help bring it back. Isn’t that part of why we’ve been waiting around all these years?” Elia shook her head quickly.

“I can’t let you sacrifice yourself for us,” she said softly. “Not when-” She stopped before the words could leave her mouth, unsure if she wanted to share that part just yet. She still wasn’t sure whether or not she was pregnant.

“Lia, I’m sure that’s… you don’t know that’s how it ends,” he said, bringing his hand to her cheek. She just stared at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You said yourself that all you saw was me collapse. Perhaps it’s not that. Maybe I just need a good sleep afterwards...”

“If it needs strong magic, we should have enough,” Marissa said, walking up to them. Elia looked over at her, the druid woman offering a reassuring smile. “Now that the fight’s over, I’m sure we could convince some of the others to help.” She glanced back at the group of druids, who seemed to be utterly confused about what was going on. Lancelot and Percival had let go of Alvarr, who glared at Morgana one last time before taking off through the woods.

“Are we sure that’s a good idea?” Gwaine asked.

“Let him go,” Arthur said. “I meant it when I said I didn’t want any bloodshed.” Morgana stared at him, completely thrown by it. It wasn’t like him to let an enemy go. Perhaps he had changed.

“But we don’t know for sure if it’s enough,” Elia pushed. Merlin took her cheek, gently guiding her back to look at him.

“Look, we don’t have to decide anything right this minute. We’re all tired and I doubt that we could do anything tonight without rest. Let’s just… go back into camp and we can talk about it first,” he said. Elia swallowed and nodded, allowing him to lead her towards the gate. She glanced around her, seeing Marissa walk up to the druids that had tried to escape, gently talking to them. Those that had been with Morgana stood speaking with Arthur and she could hear him tell them that it was their choice whether they wanted to stay or go. 

Some of them, seeming disappointed, immediately took off through the woods, while about four nodded and started to follow Arthur. Their mismatched band of followers then came to the gate, waiting as Merlin and Elia walked up and opened it. 

“I thought the elves couldn’t do magic,” Morgana said, falling in step with Mordred, though she cast a worried glance around her. While they had promised the fight was over, part of her couldn’t help but think she was amidst the enemy.

“They can’t, really. Not like us,” he replied, wincing as he and Bridget limped, each with an arm around the other. “But they found a way to infuse Elia’s magic with Merlin’s in order to protect The Willows and Rosewood.” Morgana nodded, her eyes widening as they stepped through and she looked around her. It was her first time in the elf kingdom and it was nothing like she was expecting.

“The magic left a long time ago and it fell into ruin,” Bridget said, sensing her questions. “It has only just recently started coming back, but… Merlin has found a spell that will return it to its former glory so that our kind can return.” Morgana looked over at her and Mordred.

“That’s what you meant by needing me,” she said. Mordred nodded. 

“Elia saw it in a vision,” he said. “You, me and Merlin. The others.” Morgana turned her gaze to the elf queen, who was at the front of the group, Merlin’s arm around her waist and the two seeming in a hushed, yet serious conversation.

“I hope she knows what she saw…”

~~~

Not long after, most everyone was around the large table at the camp, waiting for Merlin to return from his tent. Elia, Fianna and Elidren had gone around and healed all the injuries as they were only slight, though they were now seated, looking a bit peaky. Thankfully a good chunk of the druids had stayed as well, willing to at least hear about the spell before deciding anything. They had managed to put out some food and drinks while the elves went about healing the others.

A bit of awkwardness hung in the air as friend and foe gathered, none quite sure if the uneasy peace would truly last. Morgana could feel more than one unsure look sent her way, though she didn’t blame them. She could hardly believe the current situation herself. She had come here ready to destroy Arthur and those that stood with him, after all. 

But Mordred’s words had stuck with her. Over the last year, she had been fighting a war with herself, thinking that she had to choose one side or the other. That she had nothing but her revenge and desire for power to keep her company. But seeing him now whispering to Bridget, the two smiling at each other as he kissed her cheek, she began to wonder just how it was she had held onto her hate all this time and just how much it had cost her. Perhaps she could marry the best of both Sarah and Morgana within her. For once, the war inside her head seemed to die down. 

“Right, so…” Merlin started as he walked up and dropped a large, old book on the table with a thunk. “I’ve found a spell that we could use, but it’s going to take all of us.” He looked around, meeting the various eyes of the druids, then opened the book and found the spell. 

Elidren sat up in his chair, peering down at the page.

“Why this one?” he asked, not looking up.

“Ehm, well… not like there were loads to choose from. This one at least didn’t require a human sacrifice,” Merlin replied as several of the druids blanched slightly. Elidren glanced up at him and then back down at the page, continuing to read. “I can explain it to the rest of you, but I think we should definitely get some rest before trying it. Definitely not tonight.” 

Elia was closely watching Elidren as he read. The older elf then looked up, carefully studying those around the table. His eyes then fell on Morgana, causing her to squirm slightly, before looking up at Merlin.

“And you are sure this group is strong enough?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Should be, though I was hoping you could tell me what this last bit says. I don’t know the language,” Merlin said, leaning over to tap the last passage. Elidren looked at Elia and then back up at Merlin. 

“It’s a warning,” he said simply. “This will drain a lot of magic and energy from those who cast it, so it is not to be taken lightly.” Merlin looked around the group again.

“I think we’ll be fine,” he said, smiling slightly. Elia just stared at him a moment before jumping up from her chair and walking away. The group was silent as many began wondering what this could mean. “Nothing to worry about!” Merlin said cheerfully, sensing some of the druids starting to rethink their decision. “I’ll just go talk to her-”

“No, allow me. You should explain it further,” Elidren said, gracefully rising from his chair and following Elia.

“She’s still not convinced?” Morgana asked softly as she leaned down towards Mordred. He glanced at Bridget, the two sharing a worried look.

“I’m not sure.”

~~~

Elia knew that Elidren was behind her, but she didn’t stop walking until she came to the great willow. She stared up at the dead branches, a frown appearing on her face. She wanted her lands to come alive again and her people to return - it was what they had been waiting for all these years, after all. But she didn’t want to do it at the expense of losing Merlin.

“What did it say?” she asked, not turning around. Elidren stopped just behind her, not answering. “Tell me, Elidren. What did it really say?”

“It was a warning,” he replied. Elia turned to face him, tears already springing in her eyes.

“He is going to die. And you’re going to let him,” she said, her voice starting to give out. “All this time I had thought you had accepted him, accepted that we are meant to be together-”

“Stop, Elia,” Elidren said, cutting her off. 

“If you’re about to go off on some speech about duty to my people, then you can save your breath,” she snapped. “Because I will not lose him.”

“We need him to bring The Willows back to life,” Elidren replied, his face unreadable. “Just as we need you to lead us once we all return.”

“And I need him!” she shouted, stepping closer to him. Elidren shook his head.

“Lia-”

“SHUT IT, ELIDREN!” she shouted. “I AM HAVING HIS CHILD AND I’LL BE DAMNED IF HE’S NOT HERE FOR HER!” Elidren’s eyes widened as he stared down at his cousin who had started pacing among the tree roots. 

“You saw this?” he asked, his voice much softer. Elia nodded.

“A daughter… I saw myself giving birth… but he wasn’t there,” she said. “I can’t let him do this. I can’t let him sacrifice himself…” Elidren sighed.

“The spell doesn’t require the sacrifice of life, Lia,” he said, causing her to stop and look at him. “But it does require a sacrifice of magic…” Elia’s eyes widened.

“You mean, he would have to give up his magic?” she asked, blinking back tears. While it seemed less serious, she knew all too well that it was still a death sentence. Without magic, Merlin would lose his immortality. He would grow old and eventually die. She wasn’t sure she liked that option better. Elidren sighed and rubbed his forehead, for once letting his calm exterior drop as the weariness set in.

“He may have a point - if there is enough magic among those casting it, it may not completely drain him. Though some in the group less powerful… it could take it all,” he replied. 

“Do you think they may not have enough?” Elia asked. “Be honest with me.”

“I’m not sure. I can sense magic in the others, but… I cannot tell if it will be enough for this,” he said. “I have not seen a spell like this done before.”

“What if we got more?” Elia said. “There are more druids in London. All over. We could make some calls…”

“I just… I don’t know, Lia,” Elidren said softly, wishing to soften the blow. “Something this big, requiring that much magic, it’s impossible to truly tell what the outcome will be. But I do know that they cannot do it without Merlin. They need someone with his strength to lead it and I do not think that Mordred nor Morgana are strong enough.” 

Elia was silent as she stared at him.

“You’re saying we have to take a leap of faith,” she then said softly.

“Yes,” he replied. “And trust that it is enough.” Elia turned back to the great willow, wishing that she could see more. “Do you trust him?”

“What sort of question is that?” Elia asked, turning to look back at him. Elidren stepped up to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

“Do you trust him? Do you believe that he can do this? That he is strong enough?” he asked. Elia blinked.

“He’s the strongest person I know,” she replied nearly immediately.

“Then you are going to have to trust that he knows what he is doing,” he replied. “That is all we can do.” Elia swallowed and nodded. Elidren then pulled her into his arms as tears started pouring down her cheeks again. Elidren began rubbing her back. 

“He can do this,” she said softly. “He can do this…”

~~~

Morgana stood outside a tent, staring up at the night sky between the dead branches of the trees. She was desperate to go further into the city and look around but would need to wait until tomorrow when she could see properly. 

She couldn’t help the deep weariness that had settled on her, and yet, she couldn’t bring herself to go to sleep. Most of the others had already retired. They had spoken for another hour about the spell before some of the druids she had brought with her went back to where they had left their cars to gather up the camping supplies they had brought. Once they had set up their tents, they had climbed in and the camp had gone silent. She briefly thought of Alvarr but pushed it aside. She wasn’t ready to go there just yet.

Not to mention, Elia and Elidren still weren’t back, which worried her slightly. But she figured it was an elf thing and tried not to dwell on that either.

“Not surprised to see that you’re still up,” she heard Arthur say as he walked up to her. Morgana turned, her eyes widening slightly.

“Can’t sleep,” she said, wrapping her arms around her.

“I meant what I said,” he said. “I am sorry about then…” Morgana frowned and looked away, unable to meet his gaze. He was truly remorseful. “I see now that… I too made mistakes. And I do really hope that we can move forward from this. There was once a time that I considered you like a sister to me… I mean, you are my sister-”

“It’s okay,” she said abruptly, cutting him off from his rambling as she looked over at him. “I mean… it’s going to take some time, I think. There’s still a lot to process and work through…” Arthur nodded. 

“I just… wanted you to know. We’re not going to turn on you,” he said. “You are welcomed with us.”

“You plan to stay here?” Morgana asked, motioning towards the forest around them.

“Maybe,” Arthur said. “I’m not sure, to be honest. Gwen’s mentioned it. With the elves coming back and all, might be a good place to settle. Especially since I’m still not so used to the current world…” Morgana frowned.

“You mean... you’re not a reincarnation?” she asked. Arthur shook his head.

“There was a prophecy that I would return. As would the elves,” he said. “One day I was dead after the battle at Camlann and the next I was on the banks of the Lake of Avalon, Merlin and Elia running towards me. They’ve been here the whole time waiting for me.” Morgana blinked slightly, shocked by the news. “I don’t really know much about this new world, so it would be easier to live here with the elves.” Morgana nodded slowly as she looked around.

“Suppose it’s not so bad,” she said. Arthur chuckled.

“You should have seen it when it was alive,” he said. “Probably one of the most amazing places I’ve ever seen.” She looked back at him. “Suppose happening upon this place… that’s what started me thinking that perhaps not all magic was bad…” Morgana continued to stare at him. “Elia explained to me then that magic, at its core, is good and pure. It was those with darkness in them that turned it bad.” There was no judgement in his voice or face. 

“I suppose I was a good example of that,” she said softly. 

“But it didn’t have to be that way,” he said, frowning. “If I had tried to understand you, then maybe we could have avoided all that.”

“I wasn’t so keen on telling you about it,” Morgana said. “There was no way you could have understood without me talking first, so it’s not entirely your fault.”

“Yes, but… I just feel like there was something I could have done differently so that you would have felt more comfortable talking to me,” he said. Morgana sighed as a sad smile appeared.

“Not like we can go back and undo everything,” she said. “What’s happened has happened. But I suppose that this could be a new start.” 

“I would like that,” Arthur said, returning the smile. A bit of an awkward silence settled over them as Morgana glanced around.

“Well… I should probably… get some sleep. Big day tomorrow and all,” she said, motioning towards her tent.

“Yes, of course. Goodnight, Morgana,” Arthur said, nodding his head towards her. He then turned and walked over to his tent, glancing back at her once or twice. Sighing, Morgana turned and walked into her tent. 

She wasn’t sure what the future held, but she found herself hoping that things would truly be different this time around.

~~~

Everyone got a late start the next day, most of them needing the extra rest after the fight and considering the amount of energy that was going to be needed for the spell. Elia couldn’t bring herself to wake up Merlin when she had gone back to their tent and found him completely passed out. She knew that he had tried to wait up for her, an open book spread across his chest. So, instead she pulled off her armor quietly and then crawled into bed next to him, wrapping her arms around him before nodding off herself. She had hoped perhaps she would have another vision - one that would put her mind at ease - but she slept like the dead and saw nothing, finding her own energy seriously depleted after fighting and then healing those in the group. It had been a rather long time since she had done either. Since WWII, at least. Though she had used it from time to time while working as a doctor. Only when she knew she could get away with it.

It was about midday when she finally stirred, hearing the camp coming alive around her. She popped an eye open, seeing Merlin’s eyes closed and his chest moving up and down slowly. Rather than get up, she closed her eyes and snuggled closer. While the fear that this could be her last moments with him was still at the back of her mind, she pushed it aside, instead grasping at the belief that it would work and she would still have him with her for the rest of eternity.

“Think we should get up?” Merlin asked sleepily a few minutes later. 

“Not yet,” Elia replied, tightening her arms around him. Merlin turned, facing her as she opened her eyes.

“You know this is going to work,” he said softly. 

“But… there’s a chance you could lose your magic,” she said, frowning. Merlin smiled softly.

“We have enough people, Lia. There’s nothing to worry about,” he said, pushing her hair out of her face. She swallowed, sensing so much hope in his voice. But she couldn’t find the words to say. He pulled her closer to him, kissing her head. “It’ll be fine…”

“Oi! Merlin! Elia! Best get up or else Gwaine is going to eat all the food!” they heard Percival shout just outside their tent. Merlin sighed as he rolled over.

“Give us a minute!” he shouted.

“That long, eh?” Gwaine then shouted, causing Elia to roll her eyes as she sat up. 

“Go off, ya tossers!” she shouted. She could hear them both laughing as they walked off.

“Suppose now it _is_ time to get up,” Merlin said, sitting up next to her. “I am hungry and Gwaine very well could eat all the food.” Elia nodded as she got off the mattress and moved towards their bags. 

“Time to get ready…” 

~~~

Elia couldn’t help but be antsy as she watched Merlin and the others prepare for that night. Even though he had assured her over and over again that he would be fine, she couldn’t erase what she had seen. Not even his bright grin as he took in the amount of druids that would help them - besides him, Morgana, Mordred and Marissa, about ten of those who had come with Morgana were willing to help - could still her anxiety. After Elidren had come clean about the fact that they could potentially lose their magic, a few had bailed. Even then, Merlin was still positive that there were enough people.

Elidren had shot her knowing looks throughout the day that she ignored. She knew he was right that all they could do was trust that everything would be okay. There was no talking Merlin out of it, though she still held back on the one bit of news that could possibly do it. Granted, she was sure that he would still go through with it even then.

Sighing, she turned her attention to making her way towards the palace and great willow, walking at Merlin’s side as they led the group. Twilight had settled in and it would soon be dark. Elia had suggested waiting a few days more, letting everyone rest and build up more strength, but she had been outvoted by nearly everyone. It seemed they were all eager to see if it would work.

She stopped at the edge of the roots, looking up at the tree as she dropped down and felt the magic pulsing slowly and lightly through them. Merlin was busy giving instructions to the group, telling them where to stand and reminding them of what to say. They had spent the afternoon memorizing it. Swallowing, she slowly stood, her eyes fixed on him as he smiled and gave encouragement to the others. 

“This will work, my lady,” Fianna said, stepping up to her side. Elia glanced at her and then back at Merlin. 

“I certainly hope that it does,” she replied. Absentmindedly, she reached down and placed her hand on her stomach as she felt the worry start up again. She hoped against everything that Merlin was about to prove her fears wrong. She wished she had thought to count how many people had been there in the vision – she wasn’t sure if it was more or less or the exact amount.

“Alright, if everyone else could stand back,” Merlin said, motioning for Elia and Fianna to back up as the druids made a large circle around the tree. They walked back a ways, standing with the others. Arthur wrapped his arm around Gwen as Bridget followed Mordred with her eyes, worry apparent on her face. Gwaine had brought a bottle of whisky with him that he, Percival, and Lancelot were passing back and forth. 

“Just you wait,” Gwaine said, smiling at Lancelot. “This place was amazing before.”

Nearby, Trevor stood with Cameron and Elidren. While he was obviously worried for Marissa, there was an air of excitement. If this worked, their home would burst to life in seconds. And then the rest of their kind could come home. Only Elia seemed to be truly fearful of what the repercussions could be. 

Fianna took her hand and squeezed it, offering her an encouraging smile as the druids grew quiet, all of them looking to Merlin. He reached out and took Mordred and Morgana’s hands, everyone else quickly following suite as he looked at the tree. He closed his eyes a moment, taking a deep breath. He then opened them, a look of determination on his face.

He then began chanting, his eyes still fixed on the tree. Slowly and softly the rest of the group began chanting with him, gradually growing louder.

Elia could feel it before the others, the stir of magic in the air as Merlin’s eyes began glowing. As the rest of the circle also donned glowing eyes, the magic built up more and more, making the air around them heavy. Elia gasped softly as a wind began whipping her hair around her. 

Merlin and the others were now shouting as the wind blew stronger, pulling at their hair and clothing. Elia gripped Fianna’s hand, beginning to shake. Behind her, she felt a soft thud and figured one or all the knights had dropped to the ground, unused to such a strong presence of magic. 

The voices hit a crescendo as it seemed a thousand points of light appeared in the air and then flew to the tree. In a bright flash - so bright that Elia had to turn away and close her eyes - the earth shook beneath them, causing everyone to stumble.

Then suddenly it was gone. Elia whipped her head around to the tree, eyes wide as green leaves burst forth from the trunk of the great willow, quickly filling out the branches. From its roots, green moss and grass erupted and as it touched every other tree, they too burst to life. For a moment, Elia completely forgot about Merlin and looked around, watching with wide eyes as everything around her came to life and it a million fireflies filled the air, seemingly coming from nowhere. Many of the dwellings around them including the palace had light once again pouring from the windows.

“Holy shit,” she heard someone mutter, though she wasn’t sure who. She looked over at Fianna, who was now crying as a large grin filled her face. 

“They did it,” she whispered as she pulled Elia into a fierce hug. She couldn’t help as tears of happiness filled her own eyes.

“Merlin!” 

It all came crashing down as Elia looked over, seeing Merlin on the ground.

“NO!” she screamed, pushing Fianna away and sprinting towards him. Marissa was holding up a weak Mordred as he looked down at the warlock. Morgana seemed paler but okay, though others in the group were bending over or on the ground, obviously weakened. 

Elia dropped to her knees, her eyes searching his body. She could see that he was dangerously low on magic, but more than that, he was barely breathing. She placed her hand on his chest, noting his pale pallor. Looking up, she met Elidren’s eyes, her own wild.

“You said this couldn’t happen!” she shrieked. “YOU SAID HE COULDN’T DIE! HE’S DYING!” She then looked back at Merlin, placing both of her shaking hands on his chest. “I can heal him… yes… I can heal him…”

“Wait,” Fianna said, dropping to the ground on the other side of his body. She put her hand over him, closing her eyes slightly. She then opened them and shook her head. “This is… this is too much for even you…”

“Then help me!” Elia shouted. She placed her hands over him, determined to save him. She didn’t even care if he had no magic, just so long as she could have him for a bit longer.

“Hold on,” Morgana said, dropping next to Fianna. She looked over Merlin and then met Elia’s eyes. “What if we did it together? Bound our magic together?” 

“It… it could work,” Fianna said reluctantly. “But it’s never been done-”

“We have to try,” Elia said quickly. Morgana nodded as she placed her hands over Elia’s. Elia closed her eyes, feeling her hands heat up slightly as she focused all her power on Merlin. She heard Morgana begin to chant and suddenly, there was a great surge of power rushing through her. Her eyes flew open as she gasped and saw that a bright light enveloped them. She focused her power down, into Merlin’s body as she looked at him.

Then just as suddenly, it was gone and Morgana fell back slightly, barely able to prop herself up. Elia leaned over, taking Merlin’s face in her hands.

“Please let it work,” she whispered, waiting. He suddenly gasped loudly as his eyes flew open. Elia didn’t speak as she stared at him, waiting. Merlin took a few deep breaths, finally meeting her eyes.

“Told you it would work.”

He then promptly passed out again.


	33. A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

Merlin opened his eyes and for a moment was confused. He was in a bed. In a room. Not in a tent. The last thing he remembered he was fading into darkness after The Willows burst back to life, but then had somehow been brought back, a worried Elia hovering over him. He could see that the great willow was once again alive and told her that it worked before passing out again.

And now he was here. He gingerly sat up, feeling aches all over and finally recognizing the all too familiar room. He looked over, seeing Elia standing on the balcony of her old room in the palace. The dead branches and such had been cleared out and the pool was once again full of water, seemingly lit up from within. Tossing the covers off, he padded across the floor barefoot, his eyes wide as he took in the millions of fireflies floating around.

“It’s back,” he said softly. Elia looked over at him and nodded, a soft smile on her face. She pushed off the railing and turned to face him, wrapping her arms around him.

“Do not ever scare me like that again,” she said, her face turning serious.

“Ehm… what exactly happened?” he asked. Elia frowned.

“Exactly what I told you would happen. The tree… it took too much from you. You nearly died,” she said. 

“Ah, and then I guess you saved me then, as I knew you would,” he replied, smiling as he leaned over to kiss her. Elia dodged out of the way.

“I almost couldn’t,” she said seriously. 

“What do you mean?” he asked. 

“I couldn’t do it alone… you were too far gone… Morgana helped me. In the process, sacrificed a lot of her magic,” she said. “We’re still not completely sure how this will affect you in the long-term, though you do thankfully still have magic.” The smile dropped from Merlin’s face. He had thought perhaps he would be a bit drained afterwards. That it could take some time for him to recover. He hadn’t expected this. 

“Will she get it back?” he asked. Elia shrugged.

“We’re not sure. Marissa believes it will come back over time, but we’ll have to wait and see,” Elia said. Merlin nodded. 

“I’ll have to thank her,” he said. 

“Merlin, this is serious. Did you even think about what would happen if you had lost all your magic? Or died?” she said. “Were you really so willing to leave me?”

“I… well… I had thought it wouldn’t come to that,” he said. “I was sure that it wouldn’t come to that, in fact. Freya… she told me that you and I have a lot more to accomplish together. Several lifetimes, in fact.” Elia’s eyes widened.

“When?” she asked.

“When she gave me the sword,” he replied. Elia sighed and stepped out of his arms, running her fingers through her hair.

“And you didn’t tell me? All the anxiety you put me through…” she said. Merlin walked over and wrapped his arms around her again.

“Because I was so sure that you would already believe that,” he replied. “That you wouldn’t doubt me when I said I could handle it.” Elia just looked up into his eyes a few moments before leaning closer, wrapping her arms more tightly around him. 

“Thank god it all worked out then,” she said softly, suddenly feeling more at ease. She had worried that in exchange for using so much magic that he had given up his immortality. But if what Freya said was true - and she was inclined to believe that it was - then she had nothing to worry about. Not anymore. 

The couple was silent a few moments, both watching the fireflies dance in the air.

“So… what’s next?” Merlin finally asked.

“You mean after you rest up?” Elia replied.

“Well, thought that was a given,” Merlin said, laughing softly. 

“I want to go to Rosewood,” she said. Merlin looked down at her.

“Are you sure? You never wanted to go in before,” he said. Elia looked up at him, a small smile appearing on her face.

“I… get a feeling that you didn’t just wake up The Willows,” she said. “I think you may have woken up more.”

“And what gives you that idea?” Merlin asked. Elia didn’t reply right away, instead letting go and leading him back into the room with a smile on her face.

“Let’s just say that I may have seen something…”

~~~

There was a mood of celebration in the air. Even though most of the druids had needed to retire for the night, drained from the spell, and everyone was slightly worried about Merlin, even though Marissa said all he needed was some rest and to take it easy for a bit, they couldn’t help but be in awe of the reawakened city around them. 

They had moved camp, now settled in a clearing near the palace. They had decided staying in the rooms there would be more comfortable as it would take another couple days for some of the others were ready to leave. While cleaning out some of the rooms, the elves had found a few instruments and brought them out as those who could were settled around a long table eating and drinking. Cameron was playing a lively tune on a lute while Fianna sang and Bridget had dragged Mordred up to dance. Trevor and Marissa had joined them. Even the normally stoic Elidren was grinning brightly as he watched and then randomly gaze around him. 

“So… The Willows has returned!” Gwaine shouted joyously as he held his cup of wine out. Percival gladly clinked his against it as Lancelot grinned and kept looking up into the tall branches of the surrounding trees. Arthur chuckled at their antics as he wrapped his arm around Gwen and pulled her closer, kissing her head. He then looked around, taking stock. Even Morgana was smiling from where she sat. Though she was pale and still shaky, she had insisted that she wanted to celebrate as well. She was wrapped up in a blanket despite the warm weather, sipping wine. She met Arthur’s eyes and nodded towards him.

“What next, do you think?” Lancelot asked, looking around the group. Arthur glanced down at Gwen, who smiled and nodded in return.

“Well… Gwen and I were thinking about staying here. Or… at least dividing our time between here and her family,” Arthur said. The knights stared at them. “With the elves returning, there’s a lot of work to be done. Felt it best to lend a hand while they tried to figure things out.” 

Elidren had turned his attention to the king and knights, now paying apt attention to their conversation as were the few druids that had been able to join them.

“And well… it’s a new world, isn’t it?” Gwen added. She looked around them. “Figure we could help build a place where we could all be welcomed.” She looked over to Elidren, meeting his eyes. They knew that Elia would welcome them regardless, but she wanted to gauge his opinion on the matter.

“I think that would be… good,” he finally said, smiling at them. “For now, there are not as many elves, so there is room enough. And we can always make more room for friends.” 

“So, you lot are going to create a new world, is it?” Gwaine asked, grinning. “One where magic doesn’t have to hide.” 

“I think that sounds lovely,” Morgana mused, causing everyone to look at her. “A place where those with and without magic could live together. In peace.” She then noticed the stares. “What?”

“Just… haven’t seen this side of you in a long time,” Arthur said, smiling at her. 

“What side?” Morgana asked, slightly confused. 

“Happy. Content,” he replied. She then smiled in return. 

“Many things have changed,” she said. “Myself included.” 

“And perhaps if The Willows is back, other kingdoms have returned to life,” Elidren said. “I know that Elia wishes to go see Rosewood.” 

“What if they have?” Percival asked, looking over at the elf. He thought for a moment before answering.

“Then… I think it was meant to be. Elves do live forever… we made need the space,” he replied.

“Say, you haven’t got a lovely elf maiden coming to meet you, do you?” Gwaine asked. Elidren stared at him wide-eyed as a slight blush came over his face. The group stared in shock for a moment, not used to such a reaction from him. Then loud laughter filled the air as the other elves had stopped their playing, singing, and dancing.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Elidren said before taking a drink of his wine. 

“Ah, so it is true,” Fianna said, walking over and sitting across from him as she reached for her own cup. “I knew that you had feelings for Alea.” Elidren frowned at her. Fianna looked towards the others, her eyes alight with mischief. “She is very beautiful. And an accomplished singer. And lively. She is very much a good match for Elidren.”

“Fianna,” Elidren chided, sputtering a bit. Fianna just rolled her eyes.

“You know, back in the day, we thought for a very long time that Merlin had a little something going on with you,” Gwaine said, causing Fianna to spit out her wine. “Of course, we then figured out it was Elia all along and you were just a ruse.” 

“The queen did not tell me of this,” Fianna said, her eyes wide. “As admirable as Merlin is, no. I was already very much besotted with my husband Curunir.” 

“I can’t imagine you with children,” Gwaine said, staring at her. Fianna laughed loudly. 

“They are now nearly 1,000 years old. Hardly children,” she said. Gwaine’s eyes widened as Percival and Lancelot laughed at him. “Two boys, one girl. Elissar, Rhys, and Daenna.”

“You must miss them,” Gwen said. Fianna nodded, but a bright smile was on her face.

“Soon we will be reunited. Cameron will set out in a few days to go back to the Isles to inform the others,” she said. 

“Whatever happened to Baela?” Gwaine asked.

“Still unmarried,” Cameron said, smiling at the knight. Gwaine just nodded as Percival slapped him on the back.

“Still out for your elven maiden, are you?” he asked. Gwaine just shrugged.

“They are coming back,” he said, taking a drink.

“So, you plan to stay here?” Lancelot asked.

“Can’t think of a better place to live,” Gwaine replied. “That is, if you lot will have me.” He looked over at Fianna and Cameron, then over at Elidren.

“I don’t see why not,” Elidren said.

“Perhaps I should as well. Not like I had much going for me before,” Percival said, a bit contemplative. “Beats working at the docks.”

“We plan to settle here,” Bridget said, smiling at a blushing Mordred. 

“I’m not sure if we’ll be here full time just yet, but… we plan to at least keep a home here. Come around when we can,” Trevor said, looking at Marissa. “Besides, I’ll eventually have to be here permanently at some point since I can’t age. And Lila deserves to meet her family among my kind.”

“We could always sell the shops,” Marissa suggested. Trevor just chuckled and kissed her. 

“So, Lila is half-elf, half-druid… does that mean she’ll live forever?” Gwaine asked.

“Possibly, seeing as I’m of noble blood,” Trevor said. “Suppose we’ll have to wait and see.” 

The party then broke down into a few different conversations. All the while, Morgana watched silently, a pensive look now on her face as she slowly drank her wine. Arthur noticed and turned to face her.

“What about you, Morgana?” he asked. She looked at him, slightly surprised to be addressed. She shrugged.

“I’m honestly not sure,” she replied. “I… I do wish to stay close to my family, but… I wouldn’t mind coming to visit when I can. Maybe consider moving here later on.”

“We could use you,” Gwen said, catching onto their conversation. “I mean… you are a great sorceress. Always good to have a few around.” Morgana stared at her a moment before returning her warm smile.

“I’ll think about it…”

~~~

A few days later, Elia stopped in the woods, staring at the old, vine-covered wall before her. She hadn’t been here in centuries. She wasn’t even sure if it would be alive, but she couldn’t help the hope that bubbled up within her. Merlin stepped up to her side and took her hand, squeezing it. She looked up at him.

“You ready for this?” he asked, offering her a reassuring smile. Elia smiled and nodded before turning her attention to the wall. She let go of his hand and stepped forward, saying words she hadn’t spoken in ages. They were both silent as they watched the vines glide back and the rocks roll away. She then took a deep breath and walked through. 

Her face immediately lit up as she took in the wooden path before them, seeing it alive. She looked over at Merlin and then started running forward.

“Lia! Wait up!” he shouted with a laugh, still unable to keep up with her. She was much faster than him even when he was at full strength. But she didn’t stop, not until she came to the edges of a large village. Merlin finally caught up to her and stopped, his eyes wide even though he was slightly out of breath. While the buildings were long abandoned, they were covered in quite possibly the largest, most beautiful rose blooms he had ever seen. Everything seemed to be made of white stone. The road before them was also paved in stone but had no weeds growing through the cracks. It was as though at any minute someone would come walking out into the street. Not abandoned as it had been for over a thousand years.

“It’s alive,” Elia whispered, her eyes wide. She then continued walking, looking around everywhere. While it wasn’t as large as The Willows, it was far more impressive with wildly colored plants everywhere. Elia explained that every house had a large garden as the elves of Rosewood felt most at home among the flowers. Finally, they were standing on a ridge overlooking a large lake and a sprawling, white palace far grander than the one in The Willows. And that was saying something, considering Merlin didn’t think they got grander than the one in The Willows or even Camelot. 

He looked over at Elia, seeing the tears silently falling down her cheeks as she took it all in. She took a deep breath and looked over at him, grinning. She then turned and started down the path, this time moving at a pace that he could keep up with. She started telling him stories from growing up there. He had already heard them before, but they took on a new life, now that he was seeing where they had happened for himself.

Hand in hand, they walked into the palace, Elia making exclamations here and there. The palace was large and open, a soft, warm breeze following them. Rose vines ran up and down large pillars. They continued on until they had stepped to the back, a vast garden spread out before them. Their own garden at home or even the one at Camelot had nothing on this one, and Merlin suddenly understood the reason why Elia had insisted on filling theirs with flowers of all shapes and colors. And how she had an affinity for growing things. While it was mostly full of roses of various size and color, there was so much more. Blooms unlike anything he had ever seen.

Elia led him on, not saying anything until they were at the center of the maze and Elia stopped, turning to her left. She pulled aside some plants, revealing a gate just behind it. Pulling a key out of her pocket, she slid it in and turned it then pushed the gate open. They stepped in and Merlin looked around, wide-eyed.

“This was my mother’s favorite place,” Elia said. “She left me the key when she died, and it became my own haven.” She walked over and sat on a bench in front of a large, ornate fountain that was bubbling behind them. She then looked to Merlin and patted the space next to her. He walked over and sat down.

“This is amazing, Lia,” he said, still looking around.

“I can’t believe it’s come back,” she said, looking at him. “You… you brought it back.” 

“Well, had a bit of help,” he replied sheepishly. Elia just grinned and looked around them.

“Palace needs a bit of work, but… I think we could set it to rights once the elves return,” she said. She then looked at him. “That is… if it’s alright with you…”

“Live here?” Merlin asked. Elia nodded. “I honestly couldn’t think of a better place to live.” Elia grinned and leaned over, kissing him.

“I had hoped you’d say that,” she replied. 

“What else could I have said?” he said, chuckling. “And I thought nothing could top The Willows…” Elia nodded. 

“There’s something else I need to tell you,” she said. Merlin raised his eyebrows. 

“After this week… I think I’ve had enough of your visions,” he joked. Elia chuckled.

“This is a good one,” she said. He studied her curiously. “Merlin… we’re going to have a child. Here in Rosewood.” 

“I… what?” he said, temporarily losing the ability to speak properly. Elia laughed.

“I don’t know if I’m pregnant now, but… I saw it… giving birth here. You weren’t there, which had me worried for a bit, but now I know that it’s okay,” she said. “You survived, so perhaps the future has changed in that regard. Or perhaps you were just outside the door or had to be somewhere else...” His eyes widened.

“Is that why you were so worried?” he asked. Elia nodded as she looked away. 

“Do you want to know what it is?” she asked, a playful smile on her face as she glanced at him.

“No. Yes. Wait… what?” he replied, still trying to wrap his head around what she had just said. Elia laughed harder. “We’re having a baby?” Elia turned to him, nodding. Merlin looked down to her flat stomach. “You could be pregnant right now?”

“Again, I don’t know,” she said. “Wasn’t much to give me a timeline and I haven’t had time to do a test with everything that’s been going on.” 

“But we are going to have a child?” he asked. 

“Yes. At least one. Probably more if we want to,” Elia said lightly. Merlin just stared at her a moment before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her soundly. Elia started laughing again. “We don’t have to start right this minute.”

“I know, but… Lia…” he stopped speaking. But he didn’t need to. His thoughts and feelings were clear in the way he was looking at her.

“I know,” she replied. “It really is going to be alright.” Merlin pulled her closer.

“Thank god for that…”


	34. And They Lived Happily Ever After

_A Year Later_

Elia strode out of the back of the palace into the garden, her airy dress billowing around her. She couldn’t help but smile as she took in its pristine beauty. Gardeners moved throughout it, checking on plants as servants brought platters of food to a large table sat up nearby. Around it were Gwaine, Gwen, Arthur, Marissa, Trevor, Bridget, Mordred and Merlin. Percival was currently chasing Lila around nearby, the little girl giggling madly.

In just a year, the palace had become quite the bustling place. Two weeks after The Willows had returned to life, most of the elves had returned from The Isles and Merlin and Elia had taken a small group - along with Gwen and Arthur - to fix up the palace in Rosewood. Now the town was slowly filling up as various folks decided to settle there, among them Mordred and Bridget as well as Gwen and Arthur. Fianna and her family had also settled there as well, though they were currently off in The Willows helping Elidren.

There was still much work to be done - they were still ironing out the details of some sort of government. While the elves viewed Elia as their queen and Merlin her royal consort, they were going back and forth on titles and a more permanent governing structure to accommodate for the times. In the interim, Elia was ruling as queen, though she had quickly set up a council that included Elidren – who was currently acting as warden of The Willows – Trevor, Bridget, Cameron, Mordred, Marissa, Fianna, Arthur and Gwen. They were also planning to hold elections to fill out more spots on the council so that everyone that lived within Rosewood and The Willows felt represented and had a say in what was to come.

Elia was pushing to name Merlin king in his own right if she were to remain as queen since many druids and other magic-wielders wished to settle either in The Willows or Rosewood as word spread among the various communities around the country and Europe.

Of course, this had all become a bit more complicated once Elia discovered she was pregnant. 

“Taking your own sweet time, is it?” Gwaine asked as she walked up to the table. She rolled her eyes slightly as Merlin chuckled from his chair, reaching out for her hand and drawing her closer to him.

“If you haven’t noticed, she’s allowed to take her time,” Merlin said, his eyes falling on her still growing belly as she moved to sit next to him.

“Good to see that it’s not slowing you down,” Marissa said.

“Running a kingdom and such doesn’t stop for anything. Even pregnancy,” Elia said with a sigh as she shifted in her chair, making herself more comfortable. She turned, hearing Lila shriek and giggle as she came running up to the table, throwing herself into her mother’s arms. A panting Percival caught up, grinning. 

“Forgot how much energy they have at this age,” he replied, falling into another chair. He looked over at Merlin. “You sure you’re ready for this, mate?”

“About as ready as we can be,” Merlin replied with a sigh.

“Have you settled on a name?” Percival asked, looking at the couple. Gwen struggled to keep a straight face as Arthur’s eyebrows rose, while Elia rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance. They had been arguing over the name for months already as it was.

“Elidren still thinks we should stick to tradition,” Elia said with a huff. “Elenaril. Eliath.”

“I am partial to your mother’s name,” Merlin said. “Elliana.”

“I can’t help but think we should have something more modern,” Elia said. “These are new times, after all…”

“Shouldn’t you have some boy names on hand just in case?” Gwaine asked. 

“Elia saw a daughter. Doubt her vision would be wrong,” Merlin said.

“Yea, but how do you know you saw your first child?” Marissa said. Elia shrugged as she reached for a piece of fruit and popped it in her mouth. 

“It’s a girl,” she said. “Fianna’s sure as well.”

“Still think we should have considered a hospital,” Merlin said, causing Elia to roll her eyes.

“I’m perfectly fine. Elves have been delivering their own for thousands of years,” she said. “Fianna knows what she’s doing, and everything has progressed as it should so far. Besides, do you want to explain why she comes out with pointy ears if she has them?”

“How much longer?” Marissa asked.

“Too long,” Elia said, causing the table to chuckle.

“Another month,” Merlin replied. Elia reached down and rubbed her belly. 

“Just how do you plan to run a kingdom and raise a child?” Gwaine asked.

“The way it’s been done for years,” Elia said smartly. “And well, it’s not like I don’t have help. Merlin is here and Elidren’s been doing well as the warden of The Willows. I have the council and such. We’ll finish the elections before she’s born, so they’ll be ready to step in and do more. Not like I’m the only one doing all the work.”

“We’ve been making sure everything is ready,” Arthur said. “Elia can have a few months off-” Elia glared at this, “and everything will continue running as it should.”

“I heard more elves showed up,” Percival said, sensing Elia was about to launch into all the reasons why she wouldn’t need that much time away. She was determined to take up her work as quickly as possible after the baby.

“Seems more of our kind had been hidden throughout the land,” Elia said as she glanced over at Trevor. “They found pockets of druids to live among. Once word began spreading of The Willows and Rosewood returning, they started showing up.”

“What of the other kingdoms?” he then asked. A look of pain passed over Elia, Trevor, and Bridget’s faces.

“They still lay in ruins,” Elia said. “Bridget and Trevor went out to them recently when we finally had time…”

“But we are grateful at least that we have Rosewood and The Willows,” Bridget said quickly as Mordred reached over and squeezed her hand. Percival nodded. While he and Gwaine spent most of their time in Rosewood, they had just spent the last month in The Willows. It seemed Gwaine had developed a bit of thing for the elf warrior Baela.

“Heard from Morgana lately?” Gwaine then asked.

“She was here for a bit last week. She comes for visits often enough, but still has her work in London,” Merlin said. “Not sure if she wants to settle here full-time just yet.”

“I can understand that,” Trevor said, though Marissa gave him a small smile. “Though… we’ve decided… going to sell the shops and move here once that’s taken care of.” Elia sat up as she grinned brightly. She had been trying to talk him into moving here since Rosewood returned, though he had hesitated, unsure about uprooting Lila. But she was still young so would adjust quickly. “Thought it was time that Lila was around her kind… all of her kind. Marissa’s parents want to come as well.”

“Brilliant news,” Elia said.

“Figured you’d need me here full-time especially when the little one comes,” Trevor said. Elia sat back in her chair, pleased with the news as she reached for her iced tea. 

“Think this calls for a toast. To Trevor returning home and to the new princess on the way,” Gwaine said brightly, holding up his glass. The rest of the table followed. 

“To the new princess!” they shouted. 

Elia kept smiling as the conversation picked up and she watched the table around her. Merlin reached over and took her hand, kissing it.

“Is it what you hoped for?” he asked softly. She looked at him and nodded.

“And so much more…”

~~~

“Lia! I need you to focus!” Fianna shouted, looking up at the queen. 

Elia fell back against the pillows in her large bed, panting heavily as her red curls stuck to her forehead. 

“It’s almost time to start pushing,” Fianna said.

“Where’s Merlin?” Elia moaned as Gwen wiped her forehead with a cool cloth. Bridget was on her other side, her brow knit with worry. The queen’s labor had started up unexpectedly. And two weeks early. While Fianna insisted that all was fine, they were barely able to get ahold of Merlin, who was sound asleep in The Willows, over doing a last-minute check on Elidren before the baby came. 

He had said that he would set out right away, bringing Elidren along and they had all assumed even with the two-hour drive that he’d get there in plenty of time before the little one arrived. But Elia had progressed much faster than any of them had anticipated. 

“He should be here soon, my lady,” Bridget said soothingly. 

“He shouldn’t have gone in the first place,” Elia growled. Bridget shared a look with Gwen, both remembering very distinctly that she had said she would be fine when the trip came up, assuring Merlin that she would not have the baby while he was gone.

“Breathe, my lady,” Fianna said. “You must stay calm. It’s not good for the baby.” Elia glared at her but began slowly breathing in and out. She could feel another contraction coming on and knew that Fianna would make her push. She wanted to wait on Merlin, but the baby was going to come when it wanted to. And she seemed to want to come right now.

“Alright. You must sit up… it’s time to push,” Fianna said firmly. Elia nodded as she gritted her teeth and Gwen and Bridget helped her up. She focused on Fianna’s face. “Very good, now, one… two… three… push!” 

Elia began pushing as she gripped the bedsheets, pulling forth all the strength she had. Fianna’s face brightened.

“She’s crowning… look at that hair…” she said, tears springing into her eyes. “Okay, good. You may rest.” Elia stopped pushing and continued gasping for air as she looked towards the door. She knew in her vision that Merlin wouldn’t make it here in time, but she still hoped he would.

Taking deep breaths, she tried to remain calm. She knew that she shouldn’t have let him go.

“Are you ready? I think one more push should do it,” Fianna said. Elia nodded, unable to speak as tears filled her eyes. He wasn’t going to make it. “Okay, one… two-”

“I’m here!” Merlin shouted as he burst through the door, Elidren on his heels. The tall elf took one look at the scene before him and immediately turned around.

“I think I’ll wait outside,” he said before quickly exiting. Merlin rushed up to the bed as relief filled Elia’s face. 

“Now… can we finish this?” Fianna asked, slightly annoyed at the interruption. Merlin nodded quickly as he stood next to her and waited. “One… two… three… push, Elia!” 

With renewed vigor, Elia began pushing, a growl coming from her lips as she focused again on Fianna.

“Very good, my lady… yes… oh!” 

A cry pierced the air as Fianna sat back and held up a squirming baby. Elia fell back against the pillows as tears fell down her cheeks. Fianna quickly cleaned the baby up, and cut the cord, wrapping her in a blanket. She then held her out to Merlin. 

“May I introduce your daughter,” she said, crying herself. Merlin gently took the baby in his arms, already memorizing every plane of her face. He couldn’t tell her eye color, but she had Elia’s pale skin and his dark hair, though it was curly. As soon as he held her, her cries stopped as she gazed up at him. Her ears were faintly pointed. 

“Bring her here,” Elia said softly. Merlin quickly walked up to her side, sitting on the bed next to her as Gwen stepped out of the way. Elia leaned over gently touching her face. “She’s perfect.” She then looked up at Merlin, who leaned over and kissed her. 

“Of course, she is. She’s half you,” he said. 

“What’s her name?” Gwen asked softly. They looked at each and then over at her. 

“Elliana Hunith,” Merlin said.

“We’ll call her Ellie for short,” Elia added. She grinned up at Merlin again. Gwen looked over at Bridget and the elf nodded at her. 

“We’ll give you some time then,” Gwen said as the two women left the room.

“We’re finally a family,” Elia said softly. Merlin chuckled.

“Lia… we’ve always been a family…”

~~~

_Five years later_

“Ellie! Ellie! Stop!” Elia shouted as she attempted to follow the little girl through the halls of the Rosewood Palace. The little girl giggled as she looked over her shoulder, her long dark curls bouncing around her. “This isn’t funny! A princess does not act this naughty!”

Ellie just continued on, running out through the back towards the gardens.

“ELLIE!”

“You should listen to your mother!” Merlin shouted, though there was a grin on his face. Elia stopped and rolled her eyes, looking over at him as he walked up, a toddler on his hip. “She gets it from you, you know.” 

“Does not,” Elia replied immediately.

“She does,” Elidren said, walking up behind Merlin, his arms clasped behind his back. Elia just rolled her eyes again and turned, once again going after her daughter. Merlin looked down at the toddler in his arms.

“Certainly hope you’re not as much trouble, Fenris,” he said, bouncing the infant and causing him to giggle. While he had Elia’s red curls, his eyes were a dark blue like his father’s.

“He most likely will be,” Elidren said, continuing towards the palace gardens. “Especially if he too like Ellie has inherited your proclivities.”

“It’s not like we knew that would happen,” Merlin said, looking over at him. “I mean… we knew it was a possibility…” The elf turned slightly to look at him, a small smile on his face. “Wait… did you know? You did! Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“Does it matter, Merlin?” he asked breezily. 

“I hope you have troublesome children,” Merlin said. Elidren chuckled. 

“My children will most definitely not be troublesome,” he said. 

“I have met your wife, you know,” Merlin replied, catching up to him. Elidren just chuckled again. It was still a bit unusual for Merlin to see - this more laid-back side of him. Elidren had always been rather serious. But it seemed that married life had boded well for him. As had his impending fatherhood. He had wed the elf Alea about two years ago and she was currently back in The Willows, expecting their first child.

The two men walked out, seeing Ellie run up to Mordred and jump into his arms as he swung the small girl around. From next to him Bridget smiled at the two, her hand going instinctively to her flat belly. The two had also wed, though hadn’t had children yet. From the looks of it, it wouldn’t be long. 

In the years since Ellie was born, the people in their lands had decided that Elia and Merlin should remain as sovereigns, uniting mortals and elves. While half of the council was permanent, the other half was regularly changed out every five years. And no decision could be made without their approval, not that anyone worried about Elia or Merlin becoming tyrants. They had long ago settled on a charter and governing laws, then held a large coronation festival for Elia and Merlin. Both Rosewood and The Willows had blossomed into self-sustaining communities in large part due to the variety of people who had chosen to settle in them. There were already several schools set up and smaller villages were starting to spring up across both kingdoms.

As it was, everyone was looking forward to a long time of peace and prosperity.

“Just how many children are you two intending to have?” Elidren asked, glancing down at Merlin. The warlock shrugged.

“As many as she wants,” he said. Elidren nodded. 

“Motherhood becomes her,” he said. “And… she has become a great queen… just as Faeranduil said she would.”

“How come he didn’t come back with the others?” Merlin asked. “Or her father?”

“Felt it was time for new blood to take over and for the old order to fade,” Elidren said. “He knew that you two would create a new world for us, one that he and some of the others were unsure they could fit into.” Merlin glanced over at him.

“What do you think of it?” he asked. Elidren thought for a moment before turning to face him.

“I think… that it is the best possible world for us. One only the two of you could have accomplished along with Arthur. A place of true peace that welcomes all… that combines the new and the old,” he said. Merlin’s eyes widened. It was rare for Elidren to compliment him. While they got on well enough over the last few years, he often wondered if Elia’s cousin would ever come around to him. It seemed that he had. 

“Thank you, Elidren,” Merlin said. Elidren just smiled.

“I only speak the truth, your majesty,” he said, turning to look back at Elia as she and Ellie began dancing around in a circle, the little girl giggling wildly. “And I think it is the best world for them… the future of our kind…” Merlin couldn’t help but grin as Elia looked over at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He walked up to her side, sliding an arm around her waist as he kissed her cheek.

“EW! MUMMY! DADDY!” Ellie shrieked as she ran to hide behind Mordred. 

“Now that is a sight I never thought I would see,” Arthur said, walking up to Elidren’s side. “Merlin… as a father.” 

“Suppose the same could be said for you,” Elidren said, glancing at the once and future king. Arthur smiled slightly as he looked over and watched Gwen walk up to the small group, a hand on her growing stomach. 

“At least I get to meet this one,” he said, a flash of pain on his face. While they had hoped that perhaps the twins had been reborn, so far, they had yet to find them. But at the same time, he was grateful for the second chance to create a life and family with his love. Without the pressure of ruling solely, Arthur and Guinevere had all the time to focus on that, even taking a few years to travel around before settling into their duties on Elia and Merlin’s council.

“All will be well, Arthur,” Elidren said.

“You’ve seen this?” Arthur asked, glancing at him. A small smile appeared on the elf’s face.

“I don’t need foresight to know that,” he replied. Arthur nodded and started smiling.

“I suppose you’re right…”

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to my story “The Secret Kingdom”. I recommend that you read that one before this to understand the plot and characters.
> 
> This takes place in the year 2019 - Arthur has just returned and now he, Merlin, and Elia must figure out why and prepare for whatever catastrophe is on the horizon. All the while, looking out for the return of the elves. And while there will be some tense/serious spots, as a whole I’m trying to keep this one more lighthearted. Felt like I needed to do something mostly happy after the latest round of stories I’ve posted...
> 
> And yes - all the chapter titles are a play on Disney songs or lines from Disney songs (though some were perfect for the chapters as they are). Don’t ask me what possessed me to do that - I still haven’t figured that out - but thought it would be fun. And usually I have a hard time coming up with titles (and end up repeating titles) and figured this was a creative way to get out of that rut. And well, I feel like Elia would be the kind of person who got a kick out of Disney movies.
> 
> Anywho, enjoy!


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